Reference to Roxelana's Russian origin removed from label near her tomb in Istanbul at Ukraine's request

17:41, 26.01.2019 1 min read

The mention of the Russian origin of Sultan Suleiman I's wife Roxelana (c. 1502-1558) has been removed from the visitor panel near her tomb at the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul at the request of the Ukrainian Embassy in Turkey.

"We are gradually restoring the historical truth: at the request of our embassy, the Turkish side has removed the text of the inscription about the supposedly Russian origin of Sultan Suleiman the First's wife Roxelana near her tomb at the Suleymaniye Mosque," the embassy said on Facebook.

Although her real name and exact place of birth are unknown, historians are not questioning the Ukrainian origin of Roxelana who was initially the concubine and later wife of Sultan Suleiman I and named Hurrem after converting to Islam. She was the mother of Sultan Selim II.