Hurrem Sultan, Roxelana, Stongest Women of the Empire

For the past few months the whole country is shaken by a historical TV series called Muhtesem Yuzyil, Magnificent Century, which is about the relationship of Sultan Solomon the Magnificent with his wife Hurrem Sultan as well as the life in the Ottoman Palace. The show caused many debates in public, in fact the media, such as the historical mistakes in the show, harem, the way the harem is exhibited and many others. No doubt all these help the popularity of the show because it has the highest ratings ever week. Another fact that makes the show popular is the latest visual effects used in the war, city and palace scenes, which is a first in the Turkish movie industry.

Below is the information about Hurrem Sultan quoted from Wikipedia.org. For more information about the show visit the official site: www.muhtesemyuzyil.tv

HURREM SULTAN

Hürrem Sultan or Karima, born Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, known to Europeans informally as simply Roxelana (c. 1500–1506 – April 18, 1558) was the wife of Süleyman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire.

Names
Sixteenth-century sources were silent as to her maiden name, but in much later traditions, for example the Ukrainian folk traditions first recorded in the 19th century, her name was Anastasia or its diminutive, Nastia. In Polish traditions it was Aleksandra Lisowska.

Early Life
She was known mainly as Hürrem Sultan or Hürrem “balsaq” Sultan. In European languages she was known as Roxolena, transliterated as Roksolana, Roxolana, Roxelane, Rossa, Ruziac; in Turkish as Hürrem (from Persian: خرم – Khurram, “the cheerful one”); and in Arabic as Karima (Arabic: كريمة‎, “the noble one”).

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written by Ali Akpınar