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Safiye Sultan was the wife of Ottoman Sultan Murad III and mother of Sultan Mehmed III. It is believed she was of Albanian descent. Her name "Safiye" means "the pure one". Her date of death is uncertain between 1605 and 1619.

She was captured by corsairs and presented to the Ottoman harem. Following the steps of Nur Banu, Safiye Sultan played an important political role during the reigns of both sultans.

She is also famous for starting the construction of the Yeni Valide Mosque (New Mosque) in Istanbul in 1598. The Al-Malika Safiyya Mosque (Malika Safiya) in Cairo is named in her honor.

Reference

Maria Pia Pedani, Safiye’s Household and Venetian Diplomacy, Turcica, 32 (2000), pp. 9-32.

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+'''Safiye Sultan''' was the wife of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] [[Sultan]] [[Murad III]] and mother of Sultan [[Mehmed III]]. It is believed she was of [[Albania]]n descent. Her name "Safiye" means "the pure one". Her date of death is uncertain between 1605 and 1619.
-{{Infobox person
-|name          = Sāfiya [[Valide sultan|Vālida Sultān]]
-| image        = Hagia Sophia, April 2013 11.JPG
-| image_size   = 255px
-| caption      = <small>The burial place of "Safiye ''(Sāfeya)'' [[Valide sultan|Vālida Sultān]]" is located inside the [[Hagia Sophia|Hagia Sophia Mosque]], [[Istanbul]]</small>
-|birth_date     = {{circa}} 1550
-|birth_place     = probably [[Principality of Dukagjini]]
-|death_date    = 10 November 1605
-|death_place   = [[Edirne]], the [[Ottoman Empire]]
-|death_cause   =
-|resting_place = [[Hagia Sophia Mosque]]
-|ethnicity     = [[Albanian people|Albanian]]
-|religion      = [[Catholicism]], subsequently converted to [[Islam]] after her capture
-|known_for     = [[Valide sultan|Valide Sultan]], [[Haseki sultan|Haseki Sultan]]
-|spouse        = [[Murad III]]
-|partner       = Leonardo Baffo
-|children      = [[Mehmed III]]<br />Ayşe Sultan<br />Fatma Sultan
-}}
-'''Safiye Sultan''' (fully ''Davlatlu İsmatlu Sāfiya [[Valide sultan|Vālida Sultān]] Aliyyetü'ş-şân Hazretleri''; {{lang-ota|صفیه سلطان}}; {{circa}} 1550 – 10 November 1605),<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20060926203638/http://www.4dw.net/royalark/Turkey/turkey.htm ]</ref> was the favourite consort of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] [[Sultan]] [[Murad III]], and [[Valide sultan]] to her son, Sultan [[Mehmed III]].
+She was captured by [[corsair]]s and presented to the [[Ottoman harem]]. Following the steps of [[Nur Banu]], Safiye Sultan played an important political role during the reigns of both sultans.
-[[File:Arolsen Klebeband 01 471 4.jpg|left|thumb|222px|The husband of "Sāfiya [[Valide sultan|Vālida Sultān]]," [[Ottoman Sultan]] [[Murad III]].]]
-[[File:Mehmed_III.jpg|thumb|262px|[[Ottoman Sultan]] [[Mehmed III]], the son of Safiye [[Valide sultan]].]]
+[[Image:Istanbul new mosque.jpg|thumb|right|300px|''Yeni Camii'' (the New Mosque), one of the landmarks of İstanbul]]
-== Biography ==
-The identity of Safiye has often been confused with that of her Venetian mother-in-law [[Nurbanu Sultan|Nûr-Bānū]],<ref>Peirce, p.308</ref> leading some to believe that Safiye was also of [[Venice|Venetian]] descent, descended from Venetian Governor of [[Corfu]], captured by Muslim pirates and presented to the Sultan's harem in 1562. However, Safiye was [[Albanian]], from the village of Rezi in the Ducagini mountains.<ref>Peirce, p.94</ref><ref>http://books.google.al/books?id=1uCaELAsv3MC&pg=PA73&dq=safiye+sultan+albanian&hl=en&sa=X&ei=m_ECVN3MJa2B7Qar84DQDw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=safiye%20sultan%20albanian&f=false</ref><ref>http://books.google.al/books?id=q5rtAAAAMAAJ&q=safiye+sultan+albanian&dq=safiye+sultan+albanian&hl=en&sa=X&ei=m_ECVN3MJa2B7Qar84DQDw&redir_esc=y</ref><ref>http://books.google.al/books?id=pZXcviUTeM8C&pg=PA218&dq=safiye+sultan+albanian&hl=en&sa=X&ei=m_ECVN3MJa2B7Qar84DQDw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=safiye%20sultan%20albanian&f=false</ref><ref>http://books.google.al/books?id=HgzIAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA131&dq=safiye+sultan+albanian&hl=en&sa=X&ei=m_ECVN3MJa2B7Qar84DQDw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=safiye%20sultan%20albanian&f=false</ref><ref>http://books.google.al/books?id=Te5QRi35W5EC&pg=PA20&dq=safiye+sultan+albanian&hl=en&sa=X&ei=m_ECVN3MJa2B7Qar84DQDw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=safiye%20sultan%20albanian&f=false</ref><ref>http://books.google.al/books?id=_p0gAQAAIAAJ&q=safiye+sultan+albanian&dq=safiye+sultan+albanian&hl=sq&sa=X&ei=lwYDVIqSJYWk0QWbhIDIDA&ved=0CCUQ6AEwBTgK</ref><ref>http://books.google.al/books?id=WZDrAAAAMAAJ&q=safiye+sultan+albanian&dq=safiye+sultan+albanian&hl=sq&sa=X&ei=lwYDVIqSJYWk0QWbhIDIDA&ved=0CDQQ6AEwCDgK</ref><ref>http://books.google.al/books?id=Za0TAQAAIAAJ&q=safiye+sultan+albanian&dq=safiye+sultan+albanian&hl=sq&sa=X&ei=pAcDVN2VFfKw7AbB2IG4DQ&ved=0CAoQ6AEwADgU</ref><ref>http://books.google.al/books?id=mXsoAQAAIAAJ&q=safiye+sultan+albanian&dq=safiye+sultan+albanian&hl=sq&sa=X&ei=pAcDVN2VFfKw7AbB2IG4DQ&ved=0CA8Q6AEwATgU</ref><ref>http://books.google.al/books?id=L6-VRgVzRcUC&pg=PA94&dq=mehmed+III+albanian+mother&hl=sq&sa=X&ei=U0EDVNOGDqTuyQP0lYKoAg&ved=0CA8Q6AEwATgy</ref><ref>http://books.google.al/books?id=3VJQAAAAMAAJ&q=safiye+albanian+born&dq=safiye+albanian+born&hl=sq&sa=X&ei=2TcEVI_RDIWfygOA14KIBA&ved=0CDoQ6AEwCQ</ref><ref>http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/516162/Safiye-Sultan</ref>
+She is also famous for starting the construction of the [[Yeni Valide Mosque]] ([[New Mosque]]) in [[Istanbul]] in 1598. The [[Al-Malika Safiyya Mosque]] ([[Malika Safiya]]) in [[Cairo]] is named in her honor.
-In 1563, at the age of 13, she was presented as a slave to the future Murad III by Hüma, a granddaughter of Suleiman the Magnificent.<ref>Pedani, p. 11.</ref> Given the name Safiye ("the pure one"), she became a concubine of Murad (then the eldest son of Sultan [[Selim II]]). In 1566, she gave birth to Murad's son, the future [[Mehmed III]].
+==Reference==
-=== Time as consort ===
+Maria Pia Pedani, ''Safiye’s Household and Venetian Diplomacy'', [[Turcica]], 32 (2000), pp. 9-32.
-Murad succeeded as Sultan on Selim's death in 1574, and Safiye became his chief consort, while Nûr-Bānū became Valida Sultânā. Nûr-Bānū (and after her Safiye) wielded great political power, and were two of the most powerful figures during the "[[Sultanate of Women]]".
+[[Category:Ottoman Empire]]
-Safiye had been Murad's only concubine during his princedom, and he continued having a monogamous relationship with her for several years into his sultanate. His mother Nûr-Bānū tried persuading him to take other concubines for the good of the dynasty,<ref>Peirce, p.95</ref> which by 1581 had only one surviving heir (Murad's son Mehmed). In 1583, Nûr-Bānū accused Safiye of using witches and sorcerers to render Murad impotent and prevent him from taking new concubines. This resulted in the imprisonment and torture of Safiye's servants.<ref>Pedani, p.13.</ref> Murad's sister Esmehan presented him with two beautiful concubines, which he accepted. Cured of his impotence, he went on to father twenty sons and twenty-seven daughters.<ref>Peirce, p.94</ref>
+[[tr:Safiye Sultan]]
-Venetian reports state that after an initial bitterness, Safiye kept her dignity and showed no jealousy of Murad's concubines. She even procured more for him, earning the gratitude of the Sultan, who continued to value her and consult her on political matters, especially after the death of Nûr-Bānū. During Murad's latter years, Safiye returned to being his only companion.<ref>Peirce, p.94</ref> However, it is unlikely that Safiye ever became Murad's official wife—though the Ottoman historian Mustafa Ali refers to her as such, he is contradicted by reports from the Venetian and English ambassadors.<ref>Peirce, p.94</ref>
-=== Valide Sultan ===
-When Murad died in 1595, Safiye arranged for her son Mehmed to succeed as Sultan, and she became the [[Valide Sultan]]—one of the most powerful in Ottoman history. Until her son's death in 1603, Ottoman politics were determined by a party headed by herself and Gazanfer Ağa, [[Kapi Agha|chief of the white eunuchs]] and head of the ''[[enderun]]'' (the imperial inner palace).<ref>Pedani, p.15.</ref>
-Safiye eventually enjoyed an enormous stipend of 3,000 [[akçe|asper]]s a day during the latter part of her son's reign.<ref>Peirce, p. 126</ref> When Mehmed III went on the Eger campaign in Hungary in 1596, he gave his mother great power over the empire, leaving her in charge of the treasury. During her interim rule she persuaded her son to revoke a political appointment of the judgeship of Istanbul and to reassign to the grand vizierate to Ibrahim Pasha, her son-in-law.<ref>Peirce, p. 240</ref>
-During this period, the secretary of the English ambassador reported that while in the palace, Safiye "espied a number of boats upon the river [the Bosphorus] hurrying together. The Queen Mother sent to enquire of the matter [and] was told that the Vizier did justice upon certain chabies [''kahpe''], that is, whores. She, taking displeasure, sent word and advised [the Vizier] that her son had left him to govern the city and not to devour the women; [thus] commanding him to look well to the other business and not to meddle any more with the women till his master's return." <ref>Peirce, p. 202</ref>
-[[File:DSC03994 Istanbul - Yeni camii - Foto G. Dall'Orto 24-5-2006.jpg|thumb|262px|Interior design of [[Yeni Mosque]] in [[Eminönü]], [[Istanbul]]. ( Her construction was begun during the regency of ''Safiye [[Valide Sultan|Valida Sultânā]]'', the mother of Sultan [[Mehmed III]]).]]
-The greatest crisis Safiye endured as Valide Sultan stemmed from her reliance on her ''kira'', [[Esperanza Malchi]]. A ''kira'' was a non-Muslim woman (typically Jewish) who acted as an intermediary between a secluded woman of the harem and the outside world, serving as a business agent and secretary. In 1600 the imperial cavalry rose in rebellion at the influence of Malchi and her son, who had amassed over 50 million aspers in wealth. Safiye was held responsible for this, along with the debased currency the troops were paid with, and nearly suffered the wrath of the soldiers, who brutally killed Malchi and her son. Mehmed III was forced to say "he would counsel his mother and correct his servants." To prevent the soldiers from suspecting her influence over the Sultan, Safiye persuaded Mehmed to have his decrees written out by the Grand Vizier, instead of  personally signing them.<ref>Peirce, p. 242-3</ref>
-Safiye was instrumental in the execution of Prince Mahmud in 1602, having intercepted a message sent to his mother by a religious seer, who predicted that Mehmed III would die in six months and be succeeded by his son. According to the English ambassador, Mahmud was distressed at "how his father was altogether led by the old Sultana his Grandmother & the state went to Ruin, she respecting nothing but her own desire to get money, & often lamented thereof to his mother," who was "not favored of the Queen mother." <ref>Peirce, p. 231</ref> The sultan, suspecting a plot and jealous of his son's popularity, had him strangled.
-[[Mehmed III]] was succeeded by his son [[Ahmed I]] in 1603. One of his first major decisions was to deprive his grandmother of power—she was banished to the Old Palace in January 1604.<ref>Börekçi, Günhan. "Ahmed I." ''Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire''. Ed. Gábor Ágoston and Bruce Masters. New York: Facts on File, 2009. p. 23.</ref>
-All succeeding Sultans were descended from Safiye.<ref>See A. D. Alderson, ''The structure of the Ottoman dynasty''. Oxford: Clarendon, 1956. Table XXXI et seq.</ref>
-=== Foreign relations ===
-Safiye, like Nûr-Bānū, advocated a generally pro-Venetian policy and regularly interceded on behalf of the Venetian ambassadors, one of whom described her to the senate as "a woman of her word, trustworthy, and I call say that in her alone have I found truth in Constantinople; therefore it will always benefit Your Serenity to promote her gratitude."<ref>Peirce, p. 223</ref>
-Safiye also maintained good relations with England. She persuaded Mehmed III to let the English ambassador accompany him on campaign in Hungary.<ref>Peirce, p. 226</ref> One unique aspect of her career is that she corresponded personally with Queen [[Elizabeth I of England]], volunteering to petition the Sultan on Elizabeth's behalf. The monarchs also exchanged gifts. On one occasion, Safiye received a portrait of Elizabeth in exchange for "two garments of cloth of silver, one girdle of cloth of silver, [and] two handkerchiefs wrought with massy gold." <ref>Peirce, p. 219</ref> In a letter from 1599, Safiye responds to Elizabeth's request for good relations between the empires:
-[[File:Istanbul new mosque.jpg|thumb|262px|The [[Yeni Mosque]] in [[Eminönü]], [[Istanbul]], (Her construction was begun by ''Safiye [[Valide Sultan|Valida Sultânā]]'' and completed during the regency of ''[[Turhan Hatice]],'' the mother of Sultan [[Mehmed IV]]).]]
-"I have received your letter...God-willing, I will take action in accordance with what you have written. Be of good heart in this respect. I constantly admonish my son, the Padishah, to act according to the treaty. I do not neglect to speak to him in this manner. God-willing, may you not suffer grief in this respect. May you too always be firm in friendship. God-willing, may [our friendship] never die. You have sent me a carriage and it has been delivered. I accept it with pleasure. And I have sent you a robe, a sash, two large gold-embroidered bath towels, three handkerchiefs, and a ruby and pearl tiara. May you excuse [the unworthiness of the gifts]."<ref>Peirce, p. 228</ref>
-Safiye had the carriage covered and used it on excursions to town, which was considered scandalous. This exchange of letters and gifts between Safiye and Elizabeth I presented an interesting gender dynamic to their political relationship. In juxtaposition to the traditional means of exchanging women in order to secure diplomatic, economic, or military alliances, Elizabeth I and Safiye's exchange put them in the position of power rather than the objects of exchange.<ref>{{cite book|last=Andrea|first=Bernadette|title=Women and Islam in Early Modern English Literature|year=2007|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=New York City|isbn=978-0-521-12176-7|pages=13}}</ref>
-An unusual occurrence in Safiye's relationship with England was her attraction to Paul Pindar, secretary to English Ambassador and deliverer of Elizabeth's coach. According to Thomas Dallam (who presented Elizabeth's gift of an organ to Mehmed III), "the sultana did take great liking to Mr. Pinder, and afterwards she sent for him to have his private company, but their meeting was crossed." <ref>Peirce, p. 225</ref>
-=== Public works ===
-Safiye is also famous for starting the construction of [[Yeni Mosque]], the "new mosque" in [[Eminönü]], [[Istanbul]], in 1597. Part of Istanbul's Jewish quarter was razed to make way for the structure, whose massive building costs made Safiye unpopular with the soldiery, who wanted her exiled. At one point Mehmed III temporarily sent her to the Old Palace.<ref>Peirce, p. 242</ref> Though she returned, she did not live to see the mosque completed. After Mehmed died, Safiye lost power and was permanently exiled to the Old Palace. The mosque's onstruction was halted for decades. It was finally completed in 1665 by another Valide Sultan, [[Turhan Hatice]], mother of [[Mehmed IV]]. The [[Al-Malika Safiye Mosque]] in [[Cairo]] is named in Safiye's honor.
-==See also==
-*[[Ottoman Dynasty]]
-*[[Line of succession to the Ottoman throne]]
-*[[Ottoman family tree]]
-== References ==
-{{reflist|3}}
-* Maria Pia Pedani, ''Safiye’s Household and Venetian Diplomacy'', [[Turcica]], 32 (2000), pp.&nbsp;9–32.
-* Leslie P. Peirce. ''The Imperial Harem: Women and Sovereignty in the Ottoman Empire''. Oxford University Press, 1993.
-== External links ==
-* http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/womeninpower/Womeninpower1570.htm
-{{s-start}}
-{{s-roy|tr}}
-{{s-bef|before=[[Nurbanu Sultan]]}}
-{{s-ttl|title=[[Haseki Sultan]]|years=7 December 1583 – 15 January 1595}}
-{{s-aft|after=[[Kösem Sultan]]}}
-{{end}}
-{{s-start}}
-{{s-roy|tr}}
-{{succession box|title=[[List of Valide Sultans|Valide Sultan]]|before=[[Nurbanu Sultan]]|after=[[Handan Sultan]]|years=15 January 1595 – 22 December 1603}}
-{{s-end}}
-{{Mothers of the Ottoman Sultans}}
-{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
-| NAME              = Safiye Sultan
-| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Melike
-| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Mother of Ottoman Sultan
-| DATE OF BIRTH     = 1550
-| PLACE OF BIRTH    = [[Albania]]
-| DATE OF DEATH     = 10 November 1605
-| PLACE OF DEATH    = [[Topkapı Sarayı]]
-}}
-{{DEFAULTSORT:Safiye Safiye}}
-[[Category:1550s births]]
-[[Category:17th-century deaths]]
-[[Category:Converts to Islam from Roman Catholicism]]
-[[Category:Female regents]]
-[[Category:Valide sultan]]
-[[Category:Wives of Ottoman Sultans]]
-[[Category:Ottoman dynasty]]
-[[Category:Ottoman slaves]]
-[[Category:16th-century Ottoman people]]
-[[Category:17th-century Ottoman people]]
-[[Category:Ottoman former Christians]]
-[[Category:Ottoman people of Albanian descent]]
-[[Category:16th-century Albanian people]]
-[[Category:17th-century Albanian people]]