Turkey: Princess Mihrima Sultan 'Cameria', 1522-1578, daughter of Suleiman I (r. 1520-1566), 10th emperor of the Ottoman Empire. Portrait from the School of Cristofanso dell Altissimo (1530-1605), oil on canvas, Italy, 1542

The daughter of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (CPA0001204, CPA0002354, CPA0014625) and Hürrem Sultana Roxelana (CPA0000828 , CPA0000836, CPA0000842), Mihrimah Sulta was married to the Governor of Diyarbakır, Rüstem Pasha, in 1539.

She had two children, Ayşe Hümaşah and Osman with Rüstem Pasha, who served as grand vizier in 1544-1553 and 1555-1561. A rather influential figure at the Harem during the reigns of her father Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent and her brother Sultan Selim II, Mihrimah Sultan commissioned Mimar Sinan to build mosque complexes in her name both in Üsküdar (the Iskele or Mihrimah Mosque) and Edirnekapı (the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque).

The attire and headdress repeated in other examples of the portrait reflect the Turkish fashion of the period. During the 16th century, in which the Ottoman style became visible in Europe, both Mihrimah Sultan and her mother Hürrem Sultan represented the idealized Ottoman female figure.

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Supplier: CPA Media Co. Ltd.

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Pictures From History