Nurbanu Sultan

Nurbanu was the illegitimate daughter of a noble Venetian family, born, according to some sources, in 1525, and her name was Cecilia Venier-Baffo. Sakaoglu notes that, according to legend, among all the captive women imprisoned in the hold of the ship, taken prisoner during raids on the Mediterranean coast, Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha chose Baffo and considered her worthy of Selim II. However, both Sakaoglu and Şahin agree that the available information is insufficient to reliably determine Nurbanu's origin. Anthony Alderson, in his book "The Structure of the Ottoman Dynasty," also suggests that Nurbanu may have been a Venetian from the Venier-Baffo family. Her fate was decided by one of the successful raids of the daring and fortunate Kapudan Pasha, who was also a famous corsair in the service of the Sublime Porte, Hayreddin Barbarossa. The girl was taken prisoner at the age of 12, in 1537, enslaved, and brought as a war trophy to the Istanbul palace harem, where she was given to the harem. Her birth name before entering the harem was Cecilia, Cecilia Venier Baffo.

Nurbanu is a cruel woman, a calculating sultana. She is not one to forget grievances and seeks revenge on all her enemies. She is persistent and hates to lose. Very powerful and feminine, she belongs to the category of sultanas after and in the generation of Haseki Hürrem who began to occupy the throne, distinguished by her intelligence and cunning, and her ability to weave intrigues.

Long black hair, pale skin, scarlet lips, and dark eyes. Her skin is like porcelain, her lips full and scarlet, standing out. Her gaze is cunning, holding many secrets.

Nurbanu may have been a Venetian from the Venier-Baffo family. Her fate was decided by one of the successful raids of the daring and fortunate Kapudan Pasha, who was also a famous corsair in the service of the Sublime Porte, Hayreddin Barbarossa. The girl was taken captive at the age of 12, in 1537, enslaved, and brought as a war trophy to the palace harem in Istanbul, where she was given as a concubine to the passionate embrace of Şehzade Selim. The young charmer was able to envelop the Şehzade Selim, who was susceptible to female charms and unrestrained in wine, with affection, attention, and seduction. She followed him to Konya, where he was appointed governor, and there in 1544 she bore him a daughter – Şah Sultan, the following year two more daughters, Gevherhan and Esmehan, and finally, in 1546 – a son, Murad. Nurbanu would build her path to power following the example of her mother-in-law, Hürrem. When her son Murad was sent as a sanjakbey to Akşehir in 1558, she, like Hürrem before her, did not follow him, but remained close to her drinking husband as his favorite concubine.