Gulnus Sultan

Gülnuş Sultan was a Greek woman who was captured by the Ottomans during the invasion of Crete in 1645. She was renamed Emetullah Rabia Gülnuş and was given a thorough Ottoman education in the harem of Topkapi Palace. She soon attracted the attention of Sultan Mehmed IV, who made her his favorite consort and took her to his hunting expeditions. She gave birth to two sons who became future sultans, Mustafa II and Ahmed III. She also had four daughters, Hatice, Ayşe, Ümmügülsüm, and Fatma. She was known for her beauty, intelligence, and influence over the sultan. She was involved in political affairs and supported the war against Russia in 1711. She was also a patron of arts and architecture, and commissioned the Yeni Valide Mosque in Istanbul, where she was buried after her death in 1715. She was one of the most powerful and influential women in the Ottoman Empire in the early 18th century.