This is a summary of what I was able to extract from the highly interesting and complex doctoral study by Zeynep Baysal, entitled “II. Bayezid’in Kızlarının Vakıfları ve Vakıf Eserleri.”
Based on the findings of the study—if the author’s conclusions are correct—it appears that Sultan Bayezid II may have had two daughters named Fatma: one identified as Fatma, daughter of Nigâr Hatun, and another referred to as Fatma “Sûfiye.”
Furthermore, the study raises significant doubts regarding the historical identity of Aynışâh Sultan. The researcher notes that her name does not appear in the sources explicitly linked to Sultan Bayezid II as her father. Instead, the name appears in different contexts: in one instance as a granddaughter, and in another as a woman bearing the same name who is identified as the daughter of Kasım Pasha. This opens the possibility that Aynışâh Sultan may have been misidentified in the historiography. It is even suggested that Aynışâh Sultan and Hatice Sultan could, in fact, be the same person.
In addition, another of Bayezid II’s daughters, Ayşe Sultan, appears in the sources under the title “Şehzade Ayşe”, indicating that “Şehzade” may have functioned as a title rather than a personal name in her case.
Finally, the study discusses a figure referred to as “Şehzade Sultan”, concluding that while such a person likely existed, “Şehzade” was not her actual name but a title, meaning that her real name remains unknown. It is also possible that she corresponds to one of Bayezid II’s thirteen daughters already identified under a different name
Despite the presence of scattered information in the sources regarding the lives of the daughters of Sultan Bayezid II, this information remains highly limited. The birth dates of most of them are not known with certainty. According to the available sources:
Aynışâh Sultan was born in the 1470s,
Şehzade Ayşe Sultan in 1465,
Hatice Sultan in 1465,
Hundî Sultan around 1470,
Selçuk Sultan in 1469,
Şah Sultan in 1475.
The birth dates of Fatma bint Nigâr Sultan, Fatma Sûfiye Sultan, Hümâ Sultan, İlaldı Sultan, Kamer Sultan, and Şehzade Sultan are unknown. Based on these data, it is evident that most of Bayezid II’s daughters were born toward the late 15th century.
Similarly, although the death dates of some of them are known, they are generally given in approximate terms. The available data indicate that:
Aynışâh Sultan died after 1512,
Şehzade Ayşe Sultan after 1518,
Fatma bint Nigâr Hatun after 1510,
Fatma (Sûfiye) Sultan after 1512,
Hatice Sultan sometime between 1500 and 1535,
Hundî Sultan before 1511,
İlaldı Sultan before 1518,
Kamer Sultan after 1513,
Selçuk Sultan after 1522 or in 1539,
Şah Sultan between 1509 and 1512,
Şehzade Sultan in 1520.
The date of death of Hümâ Sultan is unknown. In general, it can be observed that the majority of Bayezid II’s daughters died in the first half of the 16th century.
As for burial locations, most of them were interred in Bursa. Specifically:
Şehzade Ayşe Sultan in the Sinan Pasha Tomb in Gallipoli,
Fatma (Sûfiye) Sultan in the tomb of Sultan Murad II in Bursa,
Hatice Sultan in the tomb located on the qibla side of Sultan Mahmud’s tomb in Bursa,
Hümâ Sultan in the Hümâ Hatun Tomb in Bursa,
Kamer Sultan in the Gülruh Hatun Tomb in Bursa,
Selçuk Sultan in the Selçuk Sultan Tomb in Istanbul,
Şah Sultan in the Şah Sultan Tomb in Bursa.
In contrast, the burial places of Aynışâh Sultan, Fatma bint Nigâr Hatun, Hundî Sultan, İlaldı Sultan, and Şehzade Sultan remain unknown.
The daughters of Sultan Bayezid II were married from the Old Palace (Eski Saray) in Istanbul, and if their husbands were appointed outside the capital, they accompanied them and lived outside Istanbul. The fact that many of them were buried in Bursa is likely related to the prevailing dynastic tradition of interring members of the ruling family in the same location.
There is no definitive evidence as to whether they actually spent their lives in Bursa. However, the case of Şehzade Ayşe Sultan—whose letters indicate that she lived outside Istanbul—and her burial alongside her husband Sinan Pasha in Gallipoli, serves as an example of princesses being buried in the places where they resided.
As for Selçuk Sultan, although all her waqf properties and architectural works were located in Serez (Greece), she was buried in Istanbul, in the tomb built by her brother Sultan Selim I. This suggests either that she was in Istanbul at the time of her death or that her body was deliberately transferred there after her death.
Accordingly, it can be concluded that the daughters of Bayezid II were buried either in the places where they lived with their husbands or in major centers such as Istanbul and Bursa, where tombs were constructed for them.
When examining the marriages of Bayezid II’s daughters, it becomes evident that most of them married more than once, and it was common for them to remarry after the death of their husbands.
Although some of the information provided in the sources lacks certainty, the available data indicate the number of marriages as follows:
Aynışâh Sultan: one marriage
Şehzade Ayşe Sultan: one marriage
Fatma bint Nigâr Hatun: one marriage
Fatma (Sûfiye) Sultan: one marriage
Hatice Sultan: three marriages
Hundî Sultan: one marriage
Kamer Sultan: one marriage
Şah Sultan: one marriage
Şehzade Sultan: one marriage
İlaldı Sultan: two marriages
Hümâ Sultan: three marriages
Selçuk Sultan: three marriages
These marriages were generally contracted in the late 15th century, and based on the known birth dates, the age at marriage was approximately between 15 and 20 years.
From these marriages, they had multiple children. Their husbands generally belonged to the administrative elite of devşirme origin, which is sometimes reflected in their names, such as:
Ahmed bin Abdülhay (husband of Hundî Sultan),
Yahya Pasha bin Abdülhay (husband of Hatice Sultan).
The expression “bin Abdülhay” indicates individuals of non-Muslim origin who later converted to Islam within the devşirme system.
Among the most prominent husbands in terms of rank was:
Grand Vizier Hersekzâde Ahmed Pasha (husband of Hundî Sultan).
Others held high-ranking positions such as provincial governors and pashas, including:
Sinan Pasha (husband of Şehzade Ayşe Sultan),
Mirza Mehmed Pasha (husband of Fatma bint Nigâr),
Güzelce Hasan Pasha (husband of Fatma Sûfiye),
Kara Mustafa Pasha, Faik Pasha, and Yahya Pasha (husbands of Hatice Sultan),
Yahya Pasha (husband of Şehzade Sultan).
In some cases, husbands came from established Ottoman elite families, such as:
Mustafa Bey, son of Davud Pasha (husband of Kamer Sultan),
Mehmed Bey, son of Vizier Ahmed Pasha, and Mehmed Bey, son of Mustafa Pasha (husbands of Selçuk Sultan).
Although the majority were of devşirme origin, there were rare cases of marriages with Turkic ruling dynasties, such as the marriage of Aynışâh Sultan to Ahmed Göde of the Aq Qoyunlu lineage. However, this marriage should be understood within the framework of extended dynastic kinship alliances, given the genealogical connections between the families.
Furthermore, the children of these princesses often married their cousins, reflecting the continued practice of endogamous marriage within the ruling elite.
Among the thirteen daughters of Sultan Bayezid II, the original waqf deeds of only three have been accessed:
Fatma Sultan bint Nigâr Hatun
Selçuk Sultan
Şah Sultan
In contrast, the waqf deeds of the following could not be located:
Aynışâh Sultan
Hundî Sultan
Hümâ Sultan
Kamer Sultan
Şehzade Sultan
As for Hatice Sultan, although her waqf deed exists, it has not been directly accessible, and its contents have been obtained through another source.
As for Gevhermülûk (Gevherhan): the figure attributed to Sultan Bayezid II is highly problematic and ambiguous in the sources. Names closely related to hers—such as Gevher, Gevherhan, Gevhermülûk, Gevherşah, and Gevher Melikşah—were widely used within the Ottoman dynasty, which led to the conflation of multiple women in the historical record.
The study suggests that much of what has been attributed to Gevhermülûk Sultan, allegedly a daughter of Bayezid II, in fact belongs to a granddaughter descending from Ayşe Sultan, namely Gevherşah / Gevher Melikşah Sultan. More reliable sources—such as the inʿāmāt register, the inscription of the Aleppo tomb, and the waqf deed of Dukakinzade Mehmed Pasha—help clarify this confusion. They demonstrate that the wife of Dukakinzade Ahmed Pasha was not a daughter of Bayezid II, but rather his granddaughter, and that their son was Dukakinzade Mehmed Pasha.
As for Gevhermülûk as a direct daughter of Bayezid II, there is no conclusive evidence regarding her. No verified waqf deed or sufficient documentation has been found, except for a single receipt dated 1015 AH / 1606 CE, which mentions “Gevherhan Sultan, daughter of Sultan Bayezid.” However, this document alone is insufficient to establish a reliable historical biography.
Therefore, the study concludes that Gevher, as a daughter of Bayezid II, remains historically uncertain, and that most of what has been attributed to her—regarding lineage, marriage, architectural patronage, and burial—results from confusion with Gevher Melikşah, the granddaughter of Bayezid II. Accordingly, it is not possible to definitively establish the life or legacy of Gevhermülûk, daughter of Bayezid II, except in very limited terms.
