Nazikedâ Kadınefendi
| Nazikedâ Kadınefendi نازک ادا قادن افندی | |
|---|---|
| Baş Kadın of the Ottoman Empire | |
| Tenure | 3 August 1876 – 11 April 1895 |
| Predecessor | Eleru Kadınefendi |
| Successor | Bedrifelek Kadınefendi |
| Born |
c. 1848 Abkhazia |
| Died |
11 April 1895 Yıldız Palace, Istanbul, the Ottoman Empire |
| Burial | Yeni Mosque, Istanbul |
| Spouse | Abdul Hamid II |
| Issue | Ulviye Sultan |
| House |
House of Tsamba (by birth) House of Osman (by marriage) |
| Father | Arzakan Tsanba |
| Mother | Esma Klıç |
| Religion | Islam |
Nazikedâ Kadınefendi (Ottoman Turkish: نازک ادا قادن افندی)(c. 1848 - 11 April 1895) was the first wife of Sultan Abdul Hamid II of the Ottoman Empire.
Early life
Nazikedâ born in 1850[1] to an Abkhazian princely family Tsanba,[1] which belonged to the old Abkhazian nobility. Her father was Prince Arzakan Bey Tsanba and her mother was an Abkhazian, Princess Esma Hanım Klıç.[1] Nazikedâ had a brother, Kâzim Pasha.[2] She was tall, had long straight black hair and had brown eyes and was incomparably beautiful.
At a young age, she was brought to Istanbul, where she was delivered at the court of Cemile Sultan. Like all the new coming girls, she was renamed and received her first education in the harem department of princess's palace. Receiving her education in the palace she was interesting in playing piano and painting.
Marriage
Nazikedâ grew into a young lady and when she entered her fifteenth year she was noticed by Abdul Hamid, who was still a şehzade (prince), in the household of Cemile Sultan and asked the sultan (princess) for her hand in marriage.[3][4] In fact, Cemile Sultan, also noticed that this young girl had pleased her brother, Abdul Hamid, and she immediately presented her to him in marriage.[3] Nazikedâ married Abdul Hamid in 1863 at the Dolmabahçe Palace, Istanbul. Five years after the marriage she gave birth to her only daughter, Ulviye Sultan.[5] When Şehzade Abdul Hamid came to the throne, she then took the position of baş kadın or chief imperial lady consort. She was in every way worthy of this position both with respect to her lofty spirit and because of her beauty.[3]
The happiness of Nazikedâ, however, was disturbed by a terrible accident. One evening, while she was playing the piano, her daughter, Ulviye Sultan, who was only seven years old, was left alone in her room.[3] The kalfas were eating, and she was playing with matches. A golden belt was fastened tightly around her waist and in spite of all the efforts of her mother she badly burned her hands and even her chest.[3] It was impossible to unfasten the belt and to take off the burning dress. She grabbed her child in her arms, shouting for help, and ran into the hall with her daughter.[3] But this served only to fan the flames and when she came to the lower floor where the girls of the service were waiting, it was far too late. The little Princess died.[3] In his reflection, Abdul Hamid referred three times to the tragic death of his first child. He considered it the first traumatic experience of his life curiously not mentioning the death of his mother when he was eleven or the death of his father when he was fourteen.
Death and burial
Nazikedâ Kadınefendi died on 11 April 1895 at the Yıldız Palace, and was buried in the Mausoleum of Sultan Murad V located at the Yeni Mosque in Istanbul.[2][1]
Titles and styles
| Styles of Nazikedâ Kadınefendi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | Kadinefendi |
| Alternative style | Her Highness |
- 1863 - 30 May 1876: Baș Gözde Hanımefendi (First Favour Lady Consort)
- 30 May 1876 – 31 August 1876: Veliahd Zevce Hanımefendi (Her Highness The Crown Princess)
- 31 August 1876 – 11 April 1895: Devletlu İsmetlu Nazikedâ Baș Kadınefendi Hazretleri (Her Highness The First Imperial Lady Consort Nazikedâ)
References
- 1 2 3 4 Harun Açba (2007). Kadın efendiler: 1839-1924. Profil. ISBN 978-9-759-96109-1.
- 1 2 The Concubine, the Princess, and the Teacher: Voices from the Ottoman Harem. University of Texas Press. 2010. ISBN 978-0-292-78335-5.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Leylâ Saz, Leïla (Hanoum) (1994). The Imperial Harem of the Sultans: Daily Life at the Çırağan Palace During the 19th Century : Memoirs of Leyla (Saz) Hanımefendi. Peva Publications. ISBN 978-9-757-23900-0.
- ↑ Günay Günaydın (2006). Haremin son gülleri. Mevsimsiz Yayınları. ISBN 978-9-944-98703-5.
- ↑ M. Çağatay Uluçay (2011). Padişahların kadınları ve kızları. Ötüken. ISBN 978-9-754-37840-5.
Succession
| Ottoman royalty | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Eleru Kadınefendi |
Baş Kadınefendi 3 August 1876 – 11 April 1895 |
Succeeded by Bedrifelek Kadınefendi |
| ||||||||||||||
