Fatma Sultan

Fatma Sultan (, "One who abstains") was an Ottoman princess, daughter of Sultan Murad III (reign 1575–1595) and Safiye Sultan, and sister of Sultan Mehmed III (reign 1595–1603) of the Ottoman Empire. Early life Fatma Sultan was a daughter of Sultan Murad III, and his consort Safiye Sultan. She had three full brothers, Sultan Mehmed III, Şehzade Selim and Şehzade Mahmud, and two full sisters Ayşe Sultan, Hümaşah Sultan. Her other possibly full sisters were Mihrimah Sultan and Fahriye Sultan. Marriages On 6 December 1593, Fatma, at Murad's behest, married Halil Pasha, Admiral of the Fleet. The wedding took place at the Old Palace, and was celebrated in a seven-day ceremony. The historian Mustafa Selaniki described the excitement of the crowds who turned out to watch the elaborate processional that carried Fatma, who was concealed behind a screen of red satin, to the palace of her new husband. Selaniki wrote that at the wedding of Fatma "skirtfulls of shiny new coins were distributed... those who did not receive any sighed with longing." According to the historian Hoca Sadeddin Efendi, her dowry was 300,000 ducats. As part of the celebrations, the members of the Imperial Council were given a seven-day leave. In 1595, Halil Pasha did not sail with the fleet. This was particularly because neither Safiye nor Fatma were willing to let him leave Istanbul. Their reluctance probably stemmed from the fact that Fatma was pregnant. She gave birth to a son in October 1595, which strengthened the new Sultan Mehmed's and Safiye's affection for Halil Pasha.