Safiye Sultan and Her Origins: How she was raised in Humasah Sultan’s Household and met Prince Murad in her early years
Foreign reports on Safiye Sultan’s origins:
Stephan Gerlach, who was in the Ottoman empire between 1573 and 1578:
“The sultan’s wife was a Bosnian concubine given to him as a gift by Ferhad Pasha (Humasah Sultan’s husband) while the prince was still in Manisa."
Historian Nicolae Jorga, citing Eugenio Albèri’s work, states that Safiye Sultan was of Albanian origin. Eugenio Albèri had published Venetian Ambassador reports between 1839 and 1863, compiling various accounts from 16th century Venetian diplomats.
Citing Tiepolo, Johann Wilhelm Zinkeisen notes that Safiye Sultan was a concubine from Slovenia.
Domenico Hierosolimitano, who served as physician to Murad III, is another foreign source who provides a different information regarding Safiye Sultan’s origins. Domenico states that Safiye Sultan was Venetian—Nurbanu Sultan was also claimed to be Venetian—and he based this information on the reports of the Venetian bailo. However, there is no consistency even among the Venetian reports. Venetian Ambassador Giovanni Mora states in his 1590 report that Safiye Sultan “is of Circassian origin”. Another Venetian ambassador, Lorenzo Bernardo, states in his 1592 report that “the most serene lady sultan is Albanian.”
It’s also interesting that, someone who had a quite intimate relationship with Murad and likely his “most belowed woman”, only based this information on the reports of the Venetian bailo. It provides insight into the fact that her origins were never revealed in front of him.
According to the foreign reports I’ve discussed: She’s most likely from a region in Albania, Bosnia, or Venice as these regions are geographically close to one another, there was also a Venetian-Albania with Venetian possessions in Northern Albania and present day South Montenegro, however by the end of the 15th century, the main possessions in northern Albania had been lost to the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. She might be from around this area.
The vast majority of contemporary Ottoman sources, however, not only fail to mention Safiye Sultan’s origins but often do not even use her name, instead referring to her simply as “Her Highness the Valide Sultan.” because of modesty. Selânikî Mustafa Efendi, simply refers to her as “Her Highness the Valide of the Sultan of the World and Refuge.”
When was Safiye introduced to Murad? Let’s look at Prince Murad’s early history:
Murad III was born in July 1546 while his father, Prince Selim (Selim II) was in Manisa serving as the Governor of Saruhan. He was the son of Nurbanu, who was his concubine at the time. He received his early education at the Manisa palace, and his circumcision ceremony was held there in April 1557. (Circumcision ceremony is crucial info because boys are not allowed to have their harems prior to circumcision!)
Following his father’s transfer to the Konya province in 1558 he accompanied him there and was granted the governorship of Akşehir. While there, he was stationed at the defense of Konya Castle during “The Battle of Princes” — a battle that took place between his father Prince Selim and his uncle Prince Beyazid. He traveled to Istanbul at the request of his grandfather, Sultan Suleyman.
Once the situation settled —and Beyazid and his princes executed—, Selim became the governor of Kütahya, and Murad was sent to the Sanjak of Saruhan in March 1562. He would remain there to serve as a governor until he became sultan. He was allowed to have his Harem here in his princely years in Manisa. And he must have met Safiye here after that time.
Their son Mehmed was born in 1567*, (Source: Seyyid Lokman) when Murad was around 20 years old. (So there is not a huge age gap between Safiye and Murad)
Disputed information around this. Seyyid Lokman records his birthdate as May 1567. Selaniki records his birthdate as 1566 and suggests Suleyman personally named him.
Was Safiye Sultan brought up in an elite Household just like Hurrem Sultan?
Safiye Sultan was likely brought to Ottoman territories when Murad was a prince and taken into the harem of Murad as a concubine at the Saruhan Sanjak in Manisa after March 1562.
As noted above, Venetian sources state that Safiye Sultan was sent to the Manisa Palace by Ferhad Pasha (the husband of Humasah Sultan) and presented as a gift to Prince Mehmed. Selânikî, reports that Safiye Sultan was raised in Ferhad Pasha’s household and she was provided a certain level of education. These two pieces of information clearly highlight Ferhad Pasha’s role in the Safiye’s arrival at the Manisa Palace. Since Nurbanu was not yet officially a Valide Sultan at the time, she likely didn’t object to Safiye being sent to her son’s harem even if she wanted to.
Edit: Maria Pia Pedani says Safiye was Albanian and in 1563, as a young slave at the age of 13, she was presented to prince Murad by Humasah.
I haven’t been able to find more information about the level of education provided to Safiye, but considering that Humasah Sultan was Prince Mehmed’s daughter, and Haseki Hurrem Sultan’s granddaughter, and Ferhad Pasha was her husband, the elite household she was brought up certainly was equipped to provide the top level of education a slave concubine could receive at the time. Humasah and Mihrimah were famous for copying Hurrem’s unique personal correspondence style in her letters, as Hurrem Sultan personally raised Humasah after her father passed away and Humasah was a modest, religious, family-oriented woman who was loved and adored by her grandmother. Safiye likely heard the legends about Haseki Hurrem here, and learned about the rising power and influence of the title called Haseki Sultan, and she may have dreamed a similar future for herself.
There was not a huge age gap between Humasah and Safiye btw, as Humasah is reported to be 2-3 years old in 1543 and Safiye was likely born between late 1540’s-1550. (According to Maria Pia Pedani she was 13 years old in 1563, so she is likely born in 1550)
