Hürrem Kadınefendi

Hürrem Kadınefendi
Kadın of the Ottoman Empire
Tenure	until 20 September 1730
Born	Diana Ekaterina Nazimova 6 December 1692 Stavropol, Russia
Died	25 June 1760 Moscow
Burial	Old Mosque, Moscow
Spouse	Ahmed III
Issue	Şehzade Isa Şehzade Selim Şehzade Mehmed Şehzade Abdullah Şehzade Orkhan
Father	Aleksandr Nazimov
Mother	Maria Yefimova
Religion	Islam, previously Orthodox Christian

Hürrem Kadınefendi (6 December 1692 – 25 June 1760) was the fourth wife of Sultan Ahmed III and mother of five of his sons. She has become one of the most beloved sultan of the Ottoman Empire due to its gentleness and charity nature.

Early life

Hürrem Kadınefendi was born Diana Ekaterina Nazimova daughter of Aleksandr Nazimov and Maria Yefimova on 6 December 1692 in Stavropol, Russia into Eastern Orthodoxy faith. Her family was one of the richest at the time thus having noble origin. She received a good education and had a nurse to take care of her as a infant. In 1701 the girl was nine years old when her hometown was attacked by Turks and Tartars who burned and looted the city. Among other locals Diana was also kidnapped and sent as a slave to the mother of sultan. In late 1701 Diana was already in the harem of Sultan Ahmed III.

Later life

After entering the harem, Diana converted to Islam and was named Hürrem due to her joyful and innocent nature. After being educated by Muslim standards and thoroughly Turkish being much appreciated by Emetullah Rabia Gülnûş Sultan was given to her son who soon fall for the young girl. According to contemporary historians, Hürrem had auburn hair, red cheeks, blue eyes, and fleshy lips, and was considered a ravishing beautiful young girl with a nice character also described as obedient, cheerful, and gentle without any interest in politics of the state and reserved. She gave birth to five sons of Sultan: Şehzade Isa (23 February 1706 – 25 May 1706), Şehzade Selim (6 September 1707 – 4 May 1708), Şehzade Mehmed (17 October 1712 – 15 July 1713), Şehzade Abdullah (18 December 1719 – 19 December 1719) and Şehzade Orkhan (born and died 1722). Hürrem was loved by all servants and well respected. According to Venetians reports, she was a pious Muslim who has amassed a considerable fortune and spent the it on building mosques, public baths, fountains, and madrasas throughout the empire. After the death of her sons, instead of being sent to Eski Saray (Old Palace) along with her servants, she was freed from slavery. Hürrem moved to its native Russia where she bought a mansion in Moscow and encouraged the spread of Islam and also helped the local Muslim population. She died on 25 June 1760 in Moscow at the age of 68 and was buried at Old Mosque which she built in Moscow and at the time it was known as the Ahmed mosque in honor of her husband.