The Harem's Last Regent: Turhan Sultan and the Yeni Mosque

In the mid-17th century, the Ottoman Empire was rocked by a violent coup inside the harem walls. Turhan Sultan, a Ruthenian slave who rose to become valide sultan, found herself locked in a power struggle against the formidable Kösem Sultan — her predecessor and grandmother to the young sultan. This episode dives into the bloody events of 1651, when Kösem was strangled in her chambers, and examines how Turhan then consolidated power not through palace intrigue alone, but by building the Yeni Mosque in Eminönü. Her massive waqf complex — spanning a mosque, market, school, and public bath — reshaped Istanbul's skyline and cemented her legacy. We also explore the role of the kızlar ağası, the chief black eunuch, who orchestrated Kösem's murder and became Turhan's right hand. Along the way, we touch on the janissary revolts, the economic strain of the Cretan War, and how a former slave became one of the most powerful regents in Ottoman history. #TurhanSultan #YeniMosque #KösemSultan #ValideSultan #KızlarAğası #HaremIHümayun #TopkapıPalace #OttomanEmpire #SultanateOfWomen #Eminönü #Janissary #CretanWar #Istanbul #17thCentury #Waqf #WomenInHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo