Three little-known facts about Hurrem Sultan from "Magnificent Century."

The figure of Hürrem Sultan, also known as Roxelana, continues to captivate researchers even after centuries. As the legitimate wife of Sultan Suleiman I and the mother of his heir Selim II, she managed to maintain love and influence for decades. The series "Magnificent Century" revealed some mysteries of her life, although certain details remain unaddressed.

Venetian ambassador Pietro Bragadino, author of detailed chronicles of the Ottoman court, noted that Hürrem indulged in liberties that were unthinkable for other concubines. According to etiquette, women of the harem were not allowed to appear in public without a yashmak, yet the sultana often disregarded this rule, and Suleiman turned a blind eye to it.

Furthermore, Hürrem received an unprecedented permission from the sultan to host foreign men in her quarters. From 1530 until her death, she welcomed renowned artists, poets, architects, and scholars.

There are accounts that in 1545, the great Titian himself painted a portrait of Hürrem. In the context of the Islamic prohibition against depicting people, this fact can be seen as a glaring violation.

Additionally, the sultana did not confine herself to the palace and openly visited Hagia Sophia—the main mosque of Istanbul. Many scholars and preachers of the time sought her patronage.

It is worth noting that Hürrem Sultan, born as Alexandra or Anastasia Lisowska, bore Sultan Suleiman I five sons and a daughter, Mihrimah Sultan.