Ottoman Sultans kept a harem of hundreds of enslaved concubines to bear their children. But from 1533 to 1656 a handful of remarkable women bent the harem system to their wills and exercised extraordinary political influence and power. This period is known as the The Sultanate of Women.
Hürrem Sultan
Mihrimah Sultan
Nurbanu Sultan
Safiye Sultan
Handan S ... Show More
May 12
Coronation Fashion: Past & Present
One of the most anticipated, and ceremonially significant parts of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla was what the royals would wear. And everyone wanted to know if Catherine, Princess of Wales would be wearing a Tiara. From real fur to faux tiaras, and ... Show More
29m 58s
May 5
6 Mothers-in-Law of Henry VIII
They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. And in the case of the six most famous wives in history, it’s true. Catherine, Anne, Jane, Anne, Catherine and Catherine again all had mothers who greatly influenced them and played important roles in their dramatic lives. Some o ... Show More
32m 46s
Apr 2024
Kosem Sultan part 2
When we last left Kosem Sultan, she was already super powerful, but with the death of her eldest son, Murad IV, she's now about to start a life of a new kind of power under her unwell son, Ibrahim. Ibrahim, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire has gone down in history as Ibrahim the Mad, ... Show More
1h 1m
Aug 2018
The Most Powerful Women in the Middle Ages, Part 3: Elizabeth of Tudor and Ottoman Queen Mother Kösem Sultan
This is the third in our three-part series on the most powerful women in the Middle Ages. To wrap things up we will explore the lives of two female rulers — one very famous, the other almost unknown. They are Elizabeth I of Tudor and Ottoman Queen Mother Kösem Sultan.<br><br>Eliz ... Show More
58m 28s
Feb 2021
138: Lost Women of Amarna
Powerful, but vanished. Following the death of Akhenaten, several prominent women disappear from history. Meritaten, the King’s Eldest Daughter; Kiya, one of his wives; and two mysterious daughters, the “Tasherits” present unresolved questions. What happened to them? We explore t ... Show More
18m 43s