Ayşe Sultan (consort of Iskender I)

## Ayşe Sultan

**Ayşe Sultan** (Ottoman Turkish: عایشه سلطان; "*the living one*" or "*womanly*"; c. 1571 - Deceber 1609) was the BaşHaseki (First Haseki) and probably legal wife of Sultan Iskender I of the Ottoman Empire.

## Early life

Ayşe’s real name maybe be Mara. She was part of Iskender's harem in Manisa and soon became the governator’s favorite, but she never was his only concubine.

She bore her first son in 1585 gaining high status in the harem, later bearing two more daughters: Ismihan Sultan in 1588 and Geverhan in 1590.

## As consort

When Mustafa I died in 1603 she followed Iskender to Topkapi Palace. Iskender gave her the title of BaşHaseki (First Haseki) and they probably got married. The relationship with Iskender however was not very lasting, Ayşe's children were all born before Iskender's accession to the throne. However she became highly influential in the sultan though not when Hirihemene Sultan, Iskender's mother; a strong rivalry arose between the two which caused Ayşe's daughter Ismihan Sultan to take sides against her.

Surely it was Ayşe herself who persuaded Iskender to exile his mother to the Old Palace. Once Hirihmene left the palace Ayşe became very powerful in the harem acting as a Valide substitute being mother of first child.

### As *valide-de-facto*

During this period Ayşe ordered all paintings depicting Hirihemene to be burned and confiscated, destroyed and resold many of Hirihemene's belongings left at the palace.

Tragedy struck the palace in 1608, all of Iskender's sons were killed during a Ramadan celebration. Ayşe lost her son in that tragedy and thus lost her opportunity to be Valide, it is believed that she tried to get pregnant but in vain.

Definitely even if for a short time, Ayşe Sultan had a strong influence in the sultan. Many claim that Ayşe was against Kemankeş Pasha's influence over the sultan. This theory goes that she and the pasha once quarreled openly in front of the sultan's gates over political affairs to which the two had conflicting ideas. This theory is supported by the fact that during the marriage of Gevherhan Sultan, daughter of Ayşe to her second husband Silahtar Mustafa Pasha who was among Iskender's closest men she wrote:

> "...the sultana's relationship with the sultan was contrasted by the irascibility of the sultan allied with the pasha."
>
>

However the source is incomplete and the subjects of the sentence are missing.

It is said that Ayşe Sultan intercepted a letter between Mahmud, the brother of Iskender I and a certain concubine, possibly a certain Karenda Hatun. Ayşe promptly informed the sultan of Mahmud's treachery. It is not known if this was real but it is believed that it was Ayşe who persuaded Iskender to execute her brother. Iskender nevertheless accused Mahmud of treason since his presence threatened the figure of the sultan who was already critical.

## Death

However Hirihmene together with Patrona Halil staged a coup and brought Şehzade Ibrahim, Iskender's brother, to the throne. Once the janissaries executed Iskender they headed towards Ayşe on Hirihemene's orders, Ayşe along with the chief eunuch Yusuf Osman Agha locked themselves inside the Valide Sultan's room, however the janissaries broke down the door and Ayşe was strangled. Others claim that she committed suicide together with Yusuf Osman Agha.

Ayşe was buried in the Iskender I mausoleum next to her son Şehzade Süleyman.

## Issue

She and Iskender had 3 children: two daughters and a son:

* Şehzade Süleyman (1585, Constantinople – murdered 1608, Constantinople, Topkapı Palace, buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque), with Ayşe;
* Ismihan Sultan (1588, Manisa– May 1657, Constantinople, buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Sultan Ahmed Mosque)
* Gevherhan Sultan (1590, Manisa – c. 1660, Constantinople, buried in Iskender I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque). She married firstly on 23 November 1594 to Cafer Pasha, married secondly to Admiral of the Fleet and vizier Çavușzade Mehmed Pasha (died 1629), married thirdly on 13 January 1640 to Helvacı Yusuf Pasha (died 1662).

She is believed to be the mother of another daughter:

* Burnaz Sultan (c.1608, Constantinople – 1643, Constantinople, buried in Ibrahim I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque).

## In popular culture

* Ayşe Sultan was played by the Turkish actress Dulva Herimami in the serie: *"Mühtereme yüzyil: Hirihmene"*