Ismihan Sultan

Ismihan Sultan (, "Purity of the Khan" or "Highness of the Khan"; Manisa, 1545 – Costantinople, 8 August 1585) was an Ottoman princess, daughter of Selim II (reign 1566–74) and his legal wife, Nurbanu Sultan. She was the granddaughter of Suleiman the Magnificent (reign 1520–66) and his favourite consort and legal wife Hürrem Sultan, sister of Sultan Murad III (reign 1574–95) and aunt of Sultan Mehmed III (reign 1595–1603). Life Early years Ismihan Sultan was born in Manisa in 1545. Her father was Şehzade Selim (future Selim II), son of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and Hurrem Sultan. She spent her early life in Manisa and Konya, where her father served as a sanjak-bey. Her mother was Nurbanu Sultan. She was described as not particularly beautiful.. First marriage In 1562, strong alliances were made for the daughters of Şehzade Selim, the prince who would succeed Suleiman as Selim II, on 17 August 1562 Ismihan married Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, Gevherhan the admiral Piyale Pasha, and Şah the chief falconer Hasan Agha. Her father was particularly happy to give Ismihan's hand to Sokollu as a reward for the vizier's help in his succession struggle with his brother Şehzade Bayezid. The State Treasury covered the expenses for the imperial wedding and granted 15,000 florins as a wedding gift to the imperial son-in-law. The couple owned two palaces, one located in Kadırga, and the other one located in Üsküdar. The two together had three sons and a daughter.