Abstract:

This study offers information about Fatma Sultan’s life, marriages, wealth, the source of her wealth, life of luxury, and household goods, alongside her clothing (an important element of material culture), jewelry, and accessories. Fatma Sultan saw the reigns of her father Sultan Ahmed I’s, and of her brothers Sultan Osman II, Sultan Murad IV and Sultan Ibrahim. She also witnessed the powerful period of her mother Kösem Sultan, and the reign of nephew Sultan Mehmed IV. Thus, she held a prestigious and respected position in the dynasty, around the palace, and in the state administration throughout her life. Upon leaving Topkapı Palace, she led a luxurious life in her mansion in Eyüp district and her farms. The items she used in her mansion are a tangible indicator of just how luxurious her life was. Her clothing and jewelry are worth a fortune. Her more notable outwear included expensive and ostentatious furs, caftans, and belts. She had watches, bracelets, earrings and pearls among jewelry and accessories – adorned with precious stones such as diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. Likewise, her household items also reflect ostentatiousness and wealth rather than necessity. This study, which was prepared by using archival sources, chronicles, and travel books of the period, will contribute to the related literature because it includes detailed information about the marriages, luxury passions, power ambitions and clothing of Ottoman sultans – especially Fatma Sultan.