Safiye (jan 1, 1566 – jan 1, 1619)

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Like Safiye, who was native to Rezi, Albania, most of the women in the Harem were taken as slaves. She was taken into the imperial court and caught the eye of the soon to be Sultan, Murad lll, and was given the name Safiye, meaning the “pleasing one”. She was the favorite consort of Sultan Murad lll, who reigned from 1574-1595. They were the parents of Sultan Mehemt lll. Until the death of Nur Banu, Murad’s mother, Safiye’s influence at court remained limited. It is believed that Safiye might have been behind Nur Banu’s death. Thereafter, as mother to the heir of the throne, she wielded great influence. Chief Minister Ibrahim Pasa enjoyed her favor. She took control of a lot of the diplomatic and political arrangements in Istanbul. She arranged ransons for sailors captured by pirates, she helped negotiate trade deals, she decided who were the top politicians, and she established a strategic correspondence with Elizabeth l in which they discussed both politics and makeup tips. Safiye was sent into retirement after the death of her son. A mosque in Cairo, the Malikah Safiyyah, is named in her honor, and another mosque in Istanbul, the Yeni Valide Cami, was initiated under her command and finished by Sultan Mehmed lV.

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