Selim II
This replica exhibited in your room is of one of the 87
talismanic shirts from the Collection of Sultan’s Clothing at Topkapi Palace
and it is considered to have belonged to Selim II according to the prayers,
motives and meanings of the talisman on the shirt and therefore was adorned
with one of his poems…
May this talisman
guard you; give you power and
strength…
He was tall, hazel eyed and
blonde… He was one of the sons of Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife
Hurrem Sultan… Amongst other sons of Sultan, it was unbeknown that he was
going to ascend to the throne… Selim would only say "Let Mustafa be
the most powerful. Let Bayezid be the desired one. May poor Selim have God’s
mercy and grace. We don’t know what tomorrow will
bring."
He was very talented and successful at
archery and hunting. He was in love with arts; his enthusiasm for
architecture and poetry led him leave renowned works that would last for
hundreds of years… He had Selimiye Mosque built in Edirne which is one of the
biggest masterpieces in Turkish and world history. He empowered the Great
Hagia Sophia and left his traces on many other work…
Having
all these talents, his mother Hurrem Sultan thought it was time for him to
find love… Hurrem Sultan wanted her son Selim to meet a charming and well
educated woman. During these times a girl arrived at the palace from Paros
Island in Aegean Sea. Even Hurrem Sultan was impressed by her breathtaking
beauty. She was taken under the care of Hurrem Sultan and sent to be
educated, then was she named "Nurbanu" which meant beaming
queen… Nurbanu became the legendary love of Selim…
Life
eventually presented the sultanate to forever patient and faithful Selim.
Sultan Selim stood like a solid wall against those who wished to harm his
nation and country for his eight years of sultanate.
He was
the Sultan of both his empire and love. He needed to faithfully protect
everything he had.
A talismanic shirt was needed to guard
him like an armour. It was again time for the Head Augur and scholars to read
the stars, calculate the propitious moment for this magical shirt. Shirt of
Selim was completed in a few years… The shirt was patterned on the both upper
front sides with Seal of Solomon. Black, red and the power of magic blue were
used in the ornaments… This was the symbol of power and sultanate. There were
prayers written on the shirt to protect him from the evil and calamities and
the shirt was sent to him to bring him victories… This shirt was going to be
his protector during all wars he had to fight…
The wish of
the nation was that blond haired, hazel eyed Selim would come back victorious
from every war…
