The Queen Mothers Who Funded an Empire: Valide Sultan Vakifs

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the immense economic power wielded by Ottoman Valide Sultans through their charitable endowments, or vakifs. They focus on Turhan Sultan, whose Yeni Mosque complex in Eminönü was funded by revenues from Egypt and a tax on wine, and on Kösem Sultan, whose vakifs supported the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. They also discuss the legal framework of the vakif system, how it allowed women to control property independently of their male relatives, and how these endowments shaped Istanbul's urban landscape. The episode highlights the specific financial instruments used, such as the malikâne system and the mukataa tax farms, and the role of the kızlar ağası in administering these assets. Listeners will learn about the Çinili Mosque and the Atik Valide Mosque as examples of Valide Sultan vakifs, and how the Ottoman state eventually absorbed these foundations during the Tanzimat reforms. #ValideSultan #TurhanSultan #KosemSultan #Vakif #OttomanEmpire #YeniMosque #Eminonu #HaremEconomics #OttomanWomen #Tanzimat #Malikane #Mukataa #KizlarAgasi #CamilMosque #AtikValideMosque #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast #SultanateOfWomen #HurremSultan Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo