The Empress Nurbanu and Ottoman Politics in the 16th Century: Building the Atik Valide

Description

Nurbanu (1525–1583) is one of the most prominent yet least studied royal women of the Ottoman dynasty. Her political and administrative career began when she was chosen as the favorite concubine of the crown prince Selim. Nurbanu’s authority increased when her son Murad was singled out as crown prince. By 1574, when her son, Murad III became Sultan, Nurbanu officially took on the title of Valide Sultan, or Queen Mother, holding the highest office of the imperial harem until her death in 1583. This book concentrates on the Atik Valide mosque complex, which constitutes the architectural embodiment of Nurbanu’s prestige, power and piety. The arrangement of the chapters is designed to enable readers to reconsider Ottoman imperial patronage practices of the late sixteenth century using the architectural enterprise of a remarkable woman as the common thread. Chapter 1 provides a general history of the wqaf institution to inform on its origins and evolution. Chapter 2 looks closely at the political dealings of Nurbanu, both in the domestic and the international sphere, building upon research concerning Ottoman royal women and power dynamics of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Chapter 3 presents a textual analysis of the written records pertaining to Nurbanu’s imperial mosque complex. Chapter 4 examines the distinctive physical qualities and functional features of the Atik Valide within its urban context. The book concludes by assessing to what extent Nurbanu was involved in the representation of her power and piety through the undertaking of her eponymous monument. Providing a complete study of the life and times of this Ottoman empress, this book will appeal to students and scholars of Ottoman studies, gender studies, history of art and architecture, Islamic studies, history of religion and Middle Eastern studies. Cover Half Title Book Title Copyright Dedication Contents Preface Notes Notes on translation and transliteration 1 The shift in the Ottoman patronage system between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Notes 2 The emergence and rise of Nurbanu in Ottoman dynastic politics Notes 3 The written records of the Atik Valide Textual analysis of the Atik Valide’s Textual analysis of the Atik Valide’s inscription program Notes 4 The functional and iconographic significance of Nurbanu’s monument The dependencies of the Atik Valide Ordinary days Friday nights, Ramazan evenings and the two Bayrams The annual event of Wholesale purchases Notes Conclusion Appendix A.1 Note Appendix A.2 Appendix A.3 Üsküdar, Yeni Mahalle Dikilitaş, Divanyolu Gül Camii Mahallesi near Aya Kapusu Yenikapı Outside Aya Kapusu Unnamed quarter (mahalle) in Istanbul Üsküp, Çeltikçi and Galhova villages (karyes) Yoros Kazası, Orhanlı Village Silivri Kazası, Kabakçı Village Silivri Kazası, Çubuklu Village Yoros Kazası Üsküdar, Şamandıra Village Çavuş Kuyusu, a hass (imperial domain) in Istanbul Kostantiniye Bağları, another hass in Istanbul Also in Çavuş Kuyusu Outside the Topkapı Gate (beyond the city walls) Samanviran Quarter (Istanbul) Fortress of Rhodes Bursa, Atpazarı Bursa, Reyhan Market Bursa, Maksim Quarter Üsküdar, Yeni Mahalle Ipsala Kazası, Başyatak/Kâfir Adası Livestock taxes (ağnam) to be collected from the sheepfolds(ağıl) and shady refuges (eğrek) of the following villages Sıvas Eski Zağra The kaza of Rodoscuk in the vilâyet of Rumeli Appendix A.4 Appendix A.5 Appendix A.6 Appendix A.7 Appendix A.8 I Special allotments for the Atik Valide II Food distribution of the Lapseki Imaret Appendix A.9 Appendix A.10 Bibliography Reference works, bibliographies, dictionaries Unpublished Ottoman archival documents Ottoman chroniclers, travel-writers and other published Ottoman sources European accounts Secondary sources Index