Hürrem Sultan

From slave girl to imperial consort, how one girl captured the heart of an emperor to become the most powerful woman in Ottoman history

- Emily Staniforth

When people think of the Ottoman Empire, they often picture grand sultans and their viziers ruling over large swathes of land from their luxurious bases in what is now Istanbul. Of all these sultans, one springs to mind more than any other: Suleiman the Magnificent. As his famous moniker suggests, Suleiman’s reign (15201566) encompassed a golden age for the Ottomans. But what many people do not know is that throughout much of his reign, an intelligent, powerful and unexpected woman stood by his side. Hürrem Sultan became the most prominent woman in the Ottoman Empire when she caught Suleiman’s eye, having risen from humble beginnings. This is her story.

The RuThenian Maid The tale of Hürrem Sultan begins in the early 16th century in Ruthenia, a region located within the Kingdom of Poland but which now sits in modern-day Ukraine. It was there that a young girl lived. Historians have not been able to piece much together about the early life of this Ruthenian girl, though some have suggested that she may have been the daughter of an Orthodox priest and was born sometime between 1502 and 1506. As to what her name was, some have identified her original Christian name as Aleksandra Lisowska, though again this cannot be proven. Despite her original identity having been lost over the centuries, this girl was destined for a magnificent life as one of the most powerful figures in the most powerful empire in the world.