Nuruosmaniye Tomb
About the Person:
- Şehsuvar Sultan was the mother of Sultan Mahmud I and Sultan Osman III.
- Her exact background remains uncertain, but she is believed to have been of Greek or Slavic origin and entered the Ottoman palace as a concubine.
- She received the title of Valide Sultan in 1730 upon her son Mahmud I’s accession to the throne and held this role until 1754.
- While influential within the palace during her son’s reign, she did not play a leading role in political affairs.
- When her second son, Osman III, became sultan in 1754, she briefly retained the honorary title Valide-i Mağfiretli (“Forgiven Sultan’s Mother”).
About the Tomb:
Construction Year: 1755
Ordered by: Sultan Osman III
Architect: Simeon Kalfa and Mustafa Ağa
Prominent Features:
- The tomb’s square core, when combined with adjoining sections, creates a rectangular interior layout.
- A large dome covers the main chamber; the lower part is made of marble, while the pendentives are of cut stone.
- The tomb features twenty-two windows, and the dome sits on a broad drum.
- Stained-glass windows set within honeycomb frames decorate the exterior.
- A triple-arched portico marks the entrance; the central arch is taller than the sides. Four freestanding columns support the portico externally, while four engaged columns are affixed to the façade.
- The interior dome is adorned with traditional kalem işi (painted decoration).
- A horizontal band runs above the windows inside, featuring verses 15 and 19 from Sūrat al-Aḥqāf.
- The tomb houses eleven sandukas (sarcophagi); aside from Şehsuvar Sultan, the identities of the others are unknown.
