22 Facts About Kaya Sultan

Kaya Sultan was the daughter of Ottoman sultan Murad IV.

Kaya Sultan was the most famous child of Murad IV and the favorite granddaughter of Kosem Sultan.

The marriage of princesses for political ends has always been used by the sultans, and Kaya was no exception.

Kaya Sultan's mother wanted her to marry one of her own political friends, the previous sultan's Silahdar, Mustafa Pasha.

At an Age between 11 and 14, Kaya was married to Melek Ahmed Pasha, a future Ottoman Grand Vizier of Abkhazian origin, who was in his mid 40s.

However, Kaya Sultan was extremely hostile towards her husband, as evident on her wedding night when she stabbed him with a dagger, and declared she would exercise her right as imperial princess to never consummate the marriage.

Melek Ahmed adored his wife and showered her with kindness and gifts, while Kaya Sultan discovered that she respected her husband and proved to be an excellent support to him, managing his assets and advising him on political matters, until his appointment as Grand Vizier.

However, finally, after seven years, Kosem Kaya Sultan ordered both of them to complete the wedding.

Kaya Sultan obeyed and soon became pregnant, giving birth to a daughter.

Kaya Sultan noted that among all the princesses and their husbands, none got on as well as Kaya and Melek.

Kaya, together with her aunts Ayse Sultan, Fatma Sultan, and Hanzade Sultan had to suffer the humiliation of serving the bride as a handmaid, standing silently behind her, holding her jug, soap, basin and towel.

Kaya Sultan returned with the others to Constantinople the following year, when Ibrahim was deposed and executed.

Kaya Sultan then proceeded to pass her own hand over her face and she too, was covered in blood.

Melek Ahmed instructed Kaya Sultan to give 1000 gold pieces to the poor as alms, 2000 to her interior aghas and exterior aghas, as well as 300 to Evliya Celebi and 100 to Evliya's sister.

Later, Melek revealed to Evliya that when Kaya Sultan was to give birth, she would bleed to death.

Shortly after this initial interpretation, Kaya Sultan had another dream to be interpreted by Melek.

However, Kaya Sultan had seen the expression on Melek's face during his interpretation and knew that he was not interpreting the dream properly.

Kaya Sultan insisted that should her line end, all the revenues from those lands should go to the Holy Cities.

Kaya Sultan's placenta remained in her womb and "got stuck to her heart".

For three days and three nights, Kaya Sultan had to endure this torture.

Kaya Sultan was buried in her uncle Ibrahim I's turbe, in the Mosque Hagia Sofia.

Kaya Sultan's spouse remarried her aunt, Fatma Sultan, although this was reported to be an unhappy marriage.