Our department's member Assist. Prof. Dr. Kübra Dursun’s new work “II. Bayezid'in Annesi Gülbahar Hatun Hayatı, Şahsiyeti, Vakıfları” has been published. We congratulate our member for his work.

Back Cover Text:

Gülbahar Hatun was one of the influential figures of the Ottoman dynasty in the fifteenth century. Although she resided in the Old Palace (Saray-ı Atik) during the period prior to the relocation of the imperial harem to Topkapı Palace - when members of the harem elite were physically distant from the center of state administration - she nonetheless sought, to the extent possible, to involve herself in state affairs. Through the letters she addressed to her son, Sultan Bayezid II, she articulated her views on the political issues of the time.

Gülbahar Hatun also employed this influential position in the realm of charitable activities. During her lifetime, she was involved in the establishment of various waqfs and in supporting existing ones. Both the foundations she endowed while alive and those established in her name after her death contributed significantly to the economic and social life of the regions in which they were founded. Considering that some of her waqfs have survived and continue to function to this day, Gülbahar Hatun may be regarded as a major benefactress. The waqfs she established fostered the formation of squares and neighborhoods around them and played an active role in shaping the characteristic urban landscapes of cities. In this respect, the waqfs of Gülbahar Hatun are considered to be exemplary cases of “Ottoman female philanthropy.”