Nurbana Sultan
Nurbanu Sultan was a powerful woman of the Ottoman Empire who lived in the 16th century. She was the wife of Sultan Selim II, and the mother of Sultan Murad III. Nurbanu was born into a Greek Christian family. But she was taken captive and brought to the Ottoman Empire as a child. She was raised as a slave in the Ottoman court, and eventually became the wife of Sultan Selim II. As the wife of the Sultan, Nurbanu exerted a great deal of influence over the Ottoman Empire. She was widely considered to be one of the most powerful women of her time because of her accomplishments. Nurbanu was responsible for the construction of several grand palaces and public buildings, and her support of the arts helped to foster a rich cultural legacy in the Ottoman Empire.