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Hürrem Sultan, or Roksolana, is one of the most mysterious and impressive figures in the history of the Ottoman Empire, whose image has firmly entered popular culture. Millions of viewers around the world saw her on the screens in the TV series “The Magnificent Century”, where she was played by actress Meriem Uzerli. She became not only a symbol of beauty and strength, but also the personification of the luxurious and difficult path of a captive to power. However, the real Hürrem was not at all the same as we are used to seeing her.
There are several versions of the origin of this incredible woman. The most common one tells about her origin from Ukraine, from the family of an Orthodox priest. But in the Turkish series, the writers for some reason decided to attribute Russian roots to her. The series really shows this, and even shows how she communicates in Russian. But in reality, this is just one of the legends, which, fortunately, have no confirmation.
Historians have proven that Roksolana's real name was Anastasia Lisovskaya, and she was born in what is now Ukraine. This fact was officially confirmed by the Ukrainian Embassy in 2019, when a correction was made to the plaque next to the tomb of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska regarding her origin.
According to historical sources, Hurrem's appearance was far from the beauty of Meryem. She was short, about 150 cm, had rounded shapes, deep-set eyes, thin lips and light eyebrows. Her nose was large, and of all the women in the harem she was inferior in beauty even to Mahidevran Sultan. But it is worth noting that Hurrem's real strength lay not only in her appearance, but in the fact that she became a real power figure in the harem, and her political maneuvers and strategic mind helped her become the only legal wife of Sultan Suleiman, and later the mother of the heir to the throne - Selim II.
She became the Sultan's right hand, an advisor and a true partner in decision-making. In her hands was not only power, but also the fate of the empire. It was thanks to her influence that the harem became not only a place for satisfying the Sultan's desires, but also a real center of political intrigues and conspiracies.
As for the series “The Magnificent Century”, this project was an undoubted success and won the hearts of the audience thanks to its rich visual design, powerful acting and intriguing storylines. The image of Hürrem performed by Meriem Uzerli was dramatic and the actress perfectly conveyed the depth of the emotional and inner strength of this woman. In the series, Hürrem looked like a real queen, her beauty and luxury inspired admiration, and this, of course, added even more magic to the series.
