Safiye sultan

She was a Haseki Sultan, in this case the favorite companion of Murad III, as well as the Valide Sultan and mother of Mehmed III. Safiye was also one of the most important figures during the era of sultanas known as the "Sultanate of Women".

Main character of Muhtesem Yuzyil: Kösem, Safiye Sultan presents herself as the most powerful woman of the dynasty at the time of the accession to the throne of Ahmet I. Currently grandmother of Sultan Ahmet I and of Sultan Mustafa I, she is therefore the oldest person of the Ottoman line, which makes her a staple figure in the Harem.

Despite the passing of the rank of Valide Sultan to Handan Sultan, Safiye remains more powerful, more popular and above all more intelligent and thoughtful than the mother of her grandson. It is on her order that Anastasia is kidnapped and brought to Topkapi Palace as a gift to her grandson. A powerful woman, she had under her orders most of the Sultan's ministers and statesmen, and does not hesitate to threaten Ahmet indirectly (by stealing the salary fund of the Janissary army) or even directly (when attempts to assassinate him and put his younger brother Mustafa on the throne in his place).

At first Kösem's ally, the latter becomes his sworn enemy, by repeatedly trying to dismiss Ahmet. She succeeds in turning Osman, Kösem's son-in-law against her and indirectly causes the death of Sehzade Mehmet (Kösem's son).

Mother of several children, she is especially close to these two daughters Fahriye Sultan and Hümasah Sultan. She is also the mother of Iskender (Sehzade Yahya) whom she protected from her brother's fury by hiding him for years. His goal is to put him on the throne and once again become the Valide Sultan.

Safiye is considered one of the most successful antagonists in the Muhtesem Yuzyil franchise. She lived through the reign of seven sultans: Sultan Suleiman I, Sultan Selim II, her husband Murad III, her son Mehmed III, her grandsons Ahmet I and Mustafa I and even her great-grandson Osman II under whose reign she died.

Biography:

In Muhtesem Yuzyil:

Safiye appears for the first time when she is fifteen years old. At that time, her name was still Safiye Hatun and was the servant of Mihrimah Sultan. The latter had received it as gift from a foreign diplomat. Safiye is actually called Sofia and is originally from Venice. She lived for two years in a convent until then became the lady-in-wainting of the diplomat's wife. Mihrimah then decides to educate her for a greater purpose. After having trained her and having taught her all the rules of etiquette and education for life at the Harem, she then offered it as a gift to Prince Murad, her nephew.

Safiye appears alongside the young prince of Eid Day to pay her respects to members of the royal family. It was there that she first met Nurbanu Sultan and made herself known to her. We also learn during the day's festivities that Safiye is pregnant with their first child, which already gives her a very special status.

She always accompanies her prince when they leave to greet Prince Selim and his wife. Murad tells his mother that Safiye is also from Venice, as she was, which only fuels Nurbanu's hatred towards the young girl. She is later summoned by Nurbanu which indirectly threatens her, warning her that any deviation or lack of respect towards the crown will be blamed on her and that she will be punish accordingly. A threat that Safiye takes as a challenge and assures the Sultana that she will be up to the task, and that she will do like her.

Following the death of Sultan Suleiman, his status increased; she is indeed the favorite and the mother of the children of the crown prince. She is however the bete noire of Nurbanu Sultan and will suffer for years under her tyranny. Even after the death of Sultan Selim II and she officially becomes the consort of Sultan Murad III, she faces Nurbanu, now Valide Sultan. But she is not Safiye's only opponent. She must also face the appetite of her husband who takes several concubines. She will then do everything as she says herself for her son Mehmed to accede to the throne, and that is what happens.

She received from Nurbanu her ring, symbol of the supremacy of the Sultanas; the same ring worn by Hürrem Sultan and that Nurbanu stole from his remains.

Safiye becomes with the accession to the throne of his son the Valide Sultan of this one and becomes the most powerful woman of the Empire at this time.

In Muhtesem Yuzyil: Kösem:

Personality:

Safiye was a very wise woman and of great power she was also narcissistic that she spoke of herself in plural instead of saying "I", she was saying "We".