How can love be considered as an exception, and that a man falling in love with a woman is an event that deserves to be tackled by historians in order to reveal the side scenes and record the events as if they have found a precious treasure!

However, in fact, the astonishment will fade if the one who fell in love is an Ottoman sultan. The presence of someone, who realizes the value of love, among The Ottomans who professionally shed blood; enslaved all women, men, and children; and encouraged immorality as well as dissoluteness is a precious treasure that deserves all this. Nevertheless, the hero of the love story has quickly gone as if the palaces of the Turkish sultans cannot bear to witness any noble sentiment.

The hero of the most famous love story was Sultan Ahmed I (1590- 1617) AD. The man was a little different from his grandparents and his fathers. On one hand, as clarified by the historical narratives, Sultan Ahmed I was a leading figure, however, in any case he was a dictator who unilaterally made Ottoman political decisions. This has led to some kind of calmness during his reign, especially after he has succeeded to impose constitutional custom that stated to give power to the elder and most wise crown prince. This happened after Turkish sultans have left power to the strongest men what resulted in massacres among brothers. Nevertheless, what Sultan Ahmed I has done did not last long after his death.

Sultan Ahmed I was also different from his grandparents regarding his view of Harem, which refers to domestic spaces reserved for maidservants and wives of Turkish sultans. He was the least one interested in it but this does not mean that he was indifferent to women as clarified by historical resources. Sultan Ahmed I was worried because Harem role became deep rooted in Ottoman Empire until it became the actual headquarter of ruling.

However, irony, perhaps the requirements of legendry love stories, was that the man who had that vision which was somewhat correct was the same man who fell in love with Anastasia, the maidservant, who was born in Greece, specifically in the Island of Tinos to a Christian family. Her father was an orthodox monk. Since her childhood, Anastasia had great beauty which drew the attention of Bosnia governor who purchased her from a person named Mr. Biller. Then, he sent her to the Sublime Porte in Istanbul as a kind of courtesy towards Turkish sultans who were very pleased with these presents.

The little girl did not realize anything inside “Topkapi” Palace where she settled in the beginning. Everything around her was luxurious and frightening. Every door hid secrets behind which were difficult to know. In the midst of all this, a young man saw her for the first time. He was Prince Ahmed who could not believe that there was such utmost beauty. He soon included her within his women and changed her name to be “Mahpeyker” which literally meant “Moon Face”.

Until that moment, Moon Face was merely a maidservant who mesmerize the prince. Nevertheless, the man who was worried about the increasing role of Harem became fond of going there to see her and listen to her talks and stories. One of the basics of raising maidservants was to teach them storytelling in order to entertain Turkish sultans. Prince Ahmed shortly fell in love with Anastasia, then, he became the talk of the ruling palaces and the jesting entertainment of women inside Harem rooms.

The British historian, Philip Mansell, mentioned a description in his book “Constantinople – City of the World’s Desire” that Sultan Ahmed I was obsessed with the love of his maidservant, Anastasia; in spite of the available temptations and the pressure of his mother “Handan” to leave her, especially that the Sultan was married to Mahfairouz who died in early age in mysterious circumstances.

The lover Sultan did not care about any pressures. He kept following his heart that was attached to the Moon Face. She became his moon and sun. He stayed in Harem for days, as he did not want to leave her. The matter shortly ended when Anastasia declared that she converted to Islam, then, she married Prince Ahmed who became Sultan and she became Sultana.

Although historical narratives indicate that Sultan Ahmed I was sincere in his love and that he was one of the few Turkish sultans who had genuine love relationships, other historical resources clarify that Anastasia, whose name became “Kosem” after she had married the Sultan, was not that innocent. Turkish historian, Yilmaz Öztuna, described Kosem as an exceptionally clever woman. However, she was also cunning, evasive, and she mastered making multifaceted political plans and conspiracies. She was also influential with persuasive talk. She has placated the people a lot to achieve her ambitions.