Nurbanu Sultan

Afife Nurbanu Sultan نور بانو سلطان
The türbe of Nurbanu located next to that of Selim II in the courtyard of Hagia Sophia
Valide Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
Tenure	15 December 1574 – 7 December 1583
Predecessor	Hafsa Sultan
Successor	Safiye Sultan
Haseki Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (Imperial Consort)
Tenure	7 September 1566 – 15 December 1574
Predecessor	Hürrem Sultan
Successor	Safiye Sultan
Born	Cecilia Venier-Baffo or Rachel or Kalē Kartanou c. 1525 Paros, Cyclades Islands, Republic of Venice?
Died	7 December 1583 (aged 58) Bahçi Palace, Istanbul, Ottoman Empire
Burial	Hagia Sophia Mosque, Istanbul
Spouse	Selim II
Issue	Murad III Ismihan Sultan Gevherhan Sultan Şah Sultan Fatma Sultan(possibly)
Religion	Islam, previously Roman Catholic or Jewish or Greek Orthodox

Afife Nurbanu Sultan (Ottoman Turkish: نور بانو سلطان‎; c. 1525 – 7 December 1583) was Haseki Sultan of Ottoman as principal consort and legal wife of Sultan Selim II and Valide Sultan of Ottoman as mother of Sultan Murad III. Conflicting theories ascribe her a Venetian, Jewish or Greek origin. Her birth name may have been Cecilia Venier-Baffo, Rachel or Kalē Kartanou. Nurbanu was one of the prominent figure during the era known as Sultanate of Women.

There are several theories about the ethnic roots of Nurbanu, none of which is generally accepted:

Turkish historian Ahmet Refik believed she was of Jewish descent, followed by some Turkish historians.

The Venetian claimed she was a daughter of Nicolò Venier and Violanta Baffo, abducted in Paros island when it was captured by Hayreddin Barbarossa.

In 1992, B. Arbel challenged the view that she was really of Venetian descent. For him the most plausible theory is that she was a Greek from Corfou named Kale Kartanou.

Nurbanu became the most favored consort of Ottoman Sultan Selim II, who was put on the throne in 1566, and the mother of Murad III.

While her spouse Selim still a şehzade, Nurbanu had been the head of his princely harem at Manisa. However, when Selim ascended to the throne, she was not head of the imperial harem, as that was a position taken by Selim's elder sister Mihrimah Sultan.

Even after Selim as a sultan began to take other concubines, she persisted as a favorite for her beauty and intelligence. As mother of the heir-apparent, she acted as an advisor to her husband. Although it was far from normal at the time, Selim II would often ask Nurbanu for her advice on various subjects because of his respect for her good judgment. Jacopo Soranzo, Venetian Ambassador reported: