Pertevniyal Sultan was most likely of Circassian origin, but it was written that she was of Romani or Kurdish descent.
21 Facts About Pertevniyal Sultan
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Pertevniyal Sultan was a close friend of Hoshiyar Qadin, consort to Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt, and mother of his son Ismail Pasha, Khedive of Egypt and Sudan from 1863 to 1879.
3.
Pertevniyal Sultan became a consort of Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II when he casually noticed her working in a hamam in Istanbul, and was given the title of "Second Ikbal".
4.
Pertevniyal Sultan gave birth to a son, Sehzade Abdulaziz, on 8 February 1830.
5.
The final illness of Sultan Abdulmejid I in 1861 initiated a spate of rumors that there was a group in the palace who wanted Murad to succeed to the throne instead of Abdulaziz.
6.
Pertevniyal Sultan contributed to the instability of her son's rule by meddling in affairs of state.
7.
Finally, when talk of Abdulaziz's deposition was in the air, Pertevniyal Sultan sent a harem agha to Midhat requesting him to prepare a document giving his advice on how her son could save his throne.
8.
Pertevniyal Sultan arrived with proposed new heir in question, her grandson Tewfik Pasha, lots of money, and female diplomacy.
9.
In spring of 1866, they launched the greatest attack, in which the good offices of Pertevniyal Sultan may have been involved.
10.
Pertevniyal Sultan returned the hospitality with an invitation of Hoshiyar to the Dolmabahce Palace.
11.
Pertevniyal Sultan was taken by the sultan to his mother in the Dolmabahce Palace, but reportedly, Pertevniyal became outraged by the presence of a foreign woman in her harem, and greeted the Empress with a slap in the face, almost provoking an international incident.
12.
Pertevniyal Sultan founded the Pertevniyal High School as well as Pertevniyal Valide Sultan Mosque in 1872.
13.
Pertevniyal Sultan built hospitals in the Harem-i Sherif, and young Turkish doctors went out from Istanbul to man them.
14.
Pertevniyal Sultan was a great philanthropist, and thanks to her influence, she had the opportunity to make her son do whatever she wanted.
15.
Pertevniyal Sultan built three fountains, one in Suboyu village and two on Karakoy road in Sebinkarahisar.
16.
The sealed apartments of Pertevniyal Sultan were opened and from them eight chests of gold and four chests of debentures were removed.
17.
Sultan Abdul Hamid II had loved Pertevniyal since he was a little boy.
18.
Pertevniyal Sultan sent men to move her and her entourage to one of the villas in Ortakoy, thereby delighting her and repairing the injustice done her.
19.
Pertevniyal Sultan visited her every day until the day she died.
20.
Pertevniyal Sultan had another habit between the dusk and the night time prayer.
21.
Pertevniyal Sultan died on 5 February 1883 at the age of seventy in the Ortakoy Palace, Istanbul, and was buried at the Pertevniyal Valide Sultan Mosque in Aksaray, Istanbul.