Dürrünev Kadın

Dürrünev Kadın (15 March 1835 – 4 December 1895) was the principal consort of Sultan Abdülaziz of the Ottoman Empire.

Dürrünev Kadın was born on 15 March 1835 in Batumi, Georgia and was a member of the Abkhazian family, Dziapş-lpa. Born as Melek Dziapş-lpa, she was the eldest daughter of Prince Mahmud Bey Dziapş-lpa and his Abkhazian wife Princess Halime Hanım Çikotua. She had two sisters, Princess Ayşe Kemalifer Hanım (wife of Ömer Bey Açba, and mother of Princess Cavidan Hanım, wife of Dürrünev's son Şehzade Yusuf Izzettin Efendi) and Princess Aliye Hanım. She was also the maternal aunt of Nazperver Kadın, fourth wife of Sultan Mehmed V, through her sister Aliye. She had long blonde hair and hazel eyes.

At the age of three Melek and her younger sister, Ayşe were taken to Istanbul, where they were delivered at the court of the Ottoman Sultan, Abdülmecid I. Servetseza Kadın, wife of Sultan Abdülmecid I, took Melek and Ayşe in her care, as she did not had children of her own. According to the palace tradition, Melek and Ayşe were renamed Dürrünev and Kemalifer and were given thoroughly Turkish, Muslim and French education in the harem department of the Topkapı Palace, according to the custom of the time. Receiving her education in the palace, Dürrünev, was brought into contact with the art, and because of this she also began to paint and draw at relatively young age.

Dürrünev grew into a young lady in the Topkapı Palace, and when she entered her twentieth year she was noticed by Prince Şehzade Abdülaziz, upon his visit to the Dolmabahçe Palace. Abdülaziz proposed Dürrünev, and she consented to the will of their parents in the marriage proposal of the Sultan. Abdülaziz also asked Servetseza Kadın to give her hand in marriage to him. Firstly she refused to give Dürrünev's hand in marriage to Abdülaziz but finally Servetsezâ was consented, and the marriage of Dürrünev to Abdülaziz took place on 20 May 1856 at the Dolmabahçe Palace, Istanbul.

Dürrünev gave birth to two children: Şehzade Yusuf Izzettin Efendi in 1857 and Princess Saliha Sultan in 1862. Abdülaziz was deposed by his ministers on 30 May 1876, and died a few days later, while his whole entourage was imprisoned in the Feriye Palace. Abdülaziz's nephew Murad V became the Sultan, and his family was liberated from imprisonment, but continued to live in Feriye Palace.

Dürrünev Kadın died on 4 December 1892 at the Feriye Palace, and was buried near the mausoleum of Sultan Mahmud II, located at Divan Yolu street, Istanbul.