#Gülşah Kalfa

[magnificentlyreused]

This purple and golden cloak with a silver lining is first worn by Nigar Kalfa in the third season of Magnificent Century. The cloak is also worn by the lady-in-waiting of Isabella Jagiellon, Queen of Hungary in the thirty-eighth episode of the third season. It is seen again on Fahriye Kalfa, Melek Kalfa, Hatice Kalfa and Gülşah Kalfa in the fourth season.

The cloak is also worn by Zarife Hatun in the twenty-sixth episode of the second season of Magnificent Century: Kösem.

[julyzaa]

Whenever i feel down i just watch Daye Hatun slap Gülşah Kalfa, and it always makes me feel better.

The drama, the fabric moving with the elegance of someone dancing, and then just the Slap.

For context:

[mc-critical]

It's interesting that all the characters who emerge as traitors in E25 want their lives to be taken by those they've betrayed. No matter how secondary their involvement is in the main actual betrayals (mostly Matrakci and Nigar), no matter how supposedly motivated by their duty and loyalty to others are their actions that ultimately inevitably turn out traitorous (mostly Ibrahim and Gülşah), each of them wants that final end instead of dealing with the humiliation of having to witness the scorn of the people they value or be separated from them by force. It's about gaining agency in a powerless situation as well as it is about aiming to avoid bad or worse consequences, deflecting the suspicion/blame away from yourself, and about trying to preserve your own personal status quo, hoping against all odds to return to that once comfortable place but realizing that you can't, that perhaps you never will regardless of any silver lining that's apparently granted to you.

[minetteskvareninova]

We didn't have a certified Minette's stupid Magnificent Century poll for a long time, so here we go.

To qualify as a MILF, one has to be a) female b) older, middle-aged at least (not necessarily a mother) c) considered sexy in-universe by at least one character (that is NOT a random rapist, sorry Gülşah, or their husband of 20 years, again sorry Hürrem)

The real contention is over the last point, a.k.a. which one is THE sexiest older woman in the show.

[malachitezmeyka]

@faintingheroine sent me this list months ago and I completely forgot about it until now so here we go. Magnificent Century characters sorted into Tumblr word categories

Blorbo (favorite character)

Nigar Kalfa my beloved. Lives rent free in my mind. Loved her ever since episode 1 when she gave Hürrem advice and bawled my eyes out when she died

Scrunkly (my “baby”, so shaped)

Viktoria/Sadıka. 'So shaped' literally describes her so well she's so pretty I love her. Also 5 year old Mustafa bc he's way too adorable for words and I love his chubby cheeks.

Scrimblo bimblo (underrated fav)

Şeker Ağa, aka the one man in MC who would treat me right. He was written out of the show in the middle of season 3 with no acknowledgement whatsoever and I still haven't gotten over it

Glup shitto (obscure fav)

Okay this is gonna take some explaining but sometime in season 3 (I think) a woman comes to the harem exactly once to sell fabric. She mistakes Hürrem for a servant and upon discovering she is a sultana, says "But she looks nothing like a witch!" Her name was Şirin or Şerin or smth like that (I watched the dub so don't judge me) and I think that's as obscure as it gets. And also Hasibe Hatun, who Gülşah forced to poison Hürrem in early season 1

Poor little meow meow (problematic/unpopular fav)

Almost everyone in MC is problematic idk what to tell you. Probably Hürrem and Mahidevran because they're the ones that come to mind when I hear the phrase poor little meow meow. Not unpopular by any means but definitely not liked by certain sides of the fandom

Horse plinko (character i would torment for fun)

Ibrahim, no contest. Just my mediocre knowledge of Greek would be enough to give him a stroke. Also explaining to him that the Divine Comedy is a self insert bible fanfic would be hilarious and I wanna do it so bad

Eeby deeby (character i would send to superhell)

Obvious answer, but Suleiman. Do I even need to explain it

[minetteskvareninova]

Also their personalities are just... Completely different. Gülnihal is more of a kind, timid type, often to her own detriment, while Cennet, on the other hand, is extremely confident and doesn’t take no shit from anyone. As for whether Gülnihal would eventually betray Hürrem... Well, that’s actually a great question.

After Leo’s death, Gülnihal would probably be the only person she could tell about what happened. That fact alone makes me a bit sad that she had to go - but then, she could’ve just died or been banished because of harem plotting at any point of the following hypothetical, so it’s probably for the best that she left. I mean, Nazli and Nilüfer did meet a sticky end, the same thing could’ve happened to Gülnihal as well. Another interesting question is her reaction to Hürrem’s attempts at the life of Isabela Fortuna; she would probably understand her desire to murder Ibrahim, because Leo, but Isabela? Whose only crime was arousing Hürrem’s jealousy? When she herself was once its victim? I have no doubt she would express at least some displeasure over what Hürrem is doing; after all, unlike Nilüfer, she is not just her servant, but also confidant. The question is whether her displeasure would go beyond occasional timid protests that Hürrem could quickly shut down, and whether she could actually make Hürrem second guess herself.

Moving on to Hürrem’s enmity with valide, I have no doubt the whole situation would scare Gülnihal like nothing before. At the same time, with Hürrem’s rise to the position of Süleyman’s wife, Gülnihal could become her right-hand woman the way Gülşah was for Mahi, and the way Selma and Nazli never were for Hürrem (for whatever reason). She could even be promoted to kalfa, and while she probably wouldn’t be considered for the position of chief attendant yet (after all, she hasn’t been in service for as long as Gülşah or Nigar), power would probably have some effect on her character. She would certainly grow in confidence at least somewhat, but other than that, I can’t really tell. How would she react to being forced into the dirty games Hürrem and Ayşe Hafsa were playing? Would she participate in them for Hürrem? Would she be “corrupted” into Hürrem’s mindset of victory at any cost? Or would she be unable to bear it and betray her mistress like Daye betrayed Ayşe Hafsa? Either way, if she managed to stay faithful to Hürrem, she would be the most important person after her once her mistress becomes the manager or the harem. There’s no doubt in my mind that in such a case Hürrem would want her friend to ascend to as high a position as possible. What would that mean for Afife, who was basically the chief attendant at the time in cannon, I am not sure. She would probably come anyway, but Gülnihal would still be pretty important. Of course, that’s just one option; we could write entire book-lenght fics rewriting Magnificent Century with Gülnihal, and explore a wide variety of scenarios...

Is Gulnihal to Hurrem what Cennet is to Safiye? I wonder if Gulnihal would have betrayed Hurrem at some point because she ruined her life

I mean Cennet was never a romantic rival to Safiye. She was a romantic rival to Halime who Safiye thought was too ambitious. So she burned her face and let Halime take the blame. So that's one difference.

The other thing is that the betrayal on Cennet's part came just as much from the revelation that she had been deceived and her life wasted being loyal to the woman who had done that to her. Gülnihal knew it was Hürrem who did that to her. And Hürrem apologised and they made up afterwards. Not to mention that Cennet's life was ruined far more than Gülnihal's. She had to become a kalfa because of what had happened to her whereas Gülnihal still managed to get out by being married. So she wasn't ruined enough to not be seen as a marriage prospect at least.

I guess the point is that Gülnihal is a saint who the show never deserved, much less Hürrem. And that Cennet deserved to reclaim her life.

[kentdenizlicom-blog]

KentDenizli.com sizler için yeni bir haber hazırladı: https://www.kentdenizli.com/kadinlar-el-emegiyle-kazaniyor.html

Kadınlar El Emeğiyle Kazan��yor

Denizli Büyükşehir Belediyesi Meslek Edindirme Kurs Merkezlerinde (DENMEK) gerçekleştirilen ücretsiz kurslara katılan kadınlar hem öğreniyor, hem üretiyor, hem de ürettikleri ürünleri DENMEK El Sanatları Satış Merkezi’nde satarak aile bütçesine katkı sağlıyor. DENMEK ile kimi kızının eğitim masraflarını karşılıyor kimi ise emekliliğin tadını çıkarıyor.

  Denizli Büyükşehir Belediyesi Meslek Edindirme Kurs Merkezleri (DENMEK) bünyesinde 32 farklı branşta ücretsiz kurslar devam ediyor. DENMEK’te gerçekleştirilen ücretsiz kurslara katılan kursiyerler hem öğreniyor, hem üretiyor, hem de ürettikleri ürünleri, Denizli Büyükşehir Belediyesi Sanat Merkezi içerisinde yer alan DENMEK El Sanatları Satış Merkezi’nde satarak aile bütçelerine katkı sağlıyor. Kursiyerler el emeği göz nuru ürünlerinin DENMEK El Sanatları Satış Merkezi’nde satarak ev ekonomisine kazandırılmasında başrol oynayan Denizli Büyükşehir Belediye Başkanı Osman Zolan’a teşekkür ediyor.

Kadınlara pozitif ayrımcılık

Denizli Büyükşehir Belediye Başkanı Osman Zolan, kadınlara yönelik pozitif ayrımcılık konusunda büyük hassasiyet gösterdiklerini ifade etti. DENMEK bünyesinde 32 ayrı dalda kurs verdiklerini kaydeden Başkan Osman Zolan, tüm Denizlilileri bu kurslara katılmaya davet ederek, “Kadın mutluysa, huzurluysa toplum da mutlu olur. Bizler her zaman hanım kardeşlerimize destek olmaya devam edeceğiz” dedi.

Kadınlardan DENMEK yorumu : “Büyük hizmet”

DENMEK El Sanatları Satış Merkezi’nde ürünlerini satarak aile ekonomisine katkıda bulunan bazı kursiyerlerin görüşleri şöyle:

  Rabia Şenocak (39) : DENMEK bünyesinde cam boncuk kursuna başladım. Severek gidip geliyorum. DENMEK Satış Merkezi’nde de satışlarımız oluyor. Ev ekonomisine katkıda bulunuyorum, kendi harcamalarımı karşılamış oluyorum. Çok memnunum, severek yapıyoruz. Denizli Büyükşehir Belediyesine katkılarından dolayı teşekkür ederiz. Buraya gelmek isteyenlere de tavsiye ederim. Osman Zolan Başkanımıza teşekkürlerimi sunuyor, böyle etkinliklerin devamını diliyorum.

  Gülsüm Tekiç (41) : 2 yıldır kağıt rölyef, alüminyum rölyef kurslarına katılıyorum. Yeni arkadaşlıklar ediniyoruz, kurslar bizim için çok güzel terapi gibi geliyor. Yıl sonu sergimizde ürünlerimizi sergileme imkanımız oluyor ve sonrasında burada satışa sunuluyor. Aile bütçemize katkıda bulunuyoruz. Her şeyden önce aktif ve sosyal bir hayatımız oluyor. Osman Zolan Başkanımıza  çok teşekkür ediyoruz, güzel şeyler olmaya devam ediyor. 

  Emel Üge (51): Emekli olduktan sonra bu tür kurslara gitmeye başladım. Filografi yapıyorum. Filografinin bize çok değişik katkıları oldu. Bütün arkadaşlarıma tavsiye ederim. Başkanımıza da çok teşekkür ederim, bu kursları bize sağlıyorlar. Beş yıldır kurslara devam ediyorum. Yaptığımız ürünleri biriktirmiş olmuyoruz, insanlarla paylaşmış oluyoruz. Ürünlerimizin satışlarından bütçemize katkı oluyor.  

  Ayten Kalfa (44) : Bir yıldan fazladır bu kurslardan faydalanıyorum. Ev ekonomisine katkıda bulunmak için ve kızımın öğrenim masraflarına yardımcı olmak maksatlı buradayım. Güzel ürünler çıkıyor, severek yapıyorum. Büyükşehir Belediyemiz burayı açarak bizi destekledi ve yardımcı oldu. Osman Zolan Başkanımıza bize yol gösterdiği için çok teşekkür ediyoruz. Ürünlerimizi buraya getiriyoruz, sağ olsunlar satılıyor.

Gülşah Şahin (30): El sanatları kurslarına sürekli katılıyordum. Birçok ürünün nasıl yapıldığını az çok biliyorum. DENMEK El Sanatları Merkezi’nin açılacağını duyduğumda çok sevinmiştim. Kadınlar, ‘Kurslarda o kadar çok ürün yapıyoruz ki; artık bunları eve sığdıramıyoruz, artık satmak istiyoruz, insanların beğenisine sunmak istiyoruz, yer açılsın’ diyorlardı. Denizli Büyükşehir Belediyesi gerçekten büyük bir hizmete imza attı.

32 branşta eğitim veriliyor

DENMEK bünyesinde Tezhip, Minyatür, Çini, Seramik, Kâğıt Rölyef, Cam Boncuk, Deri El Sanatları, İpek Böceği Kozasından Aksesuar Yapımı, Tel Kırma, İğne Oyası, Dantel Anglez, Filografi, Ev Tekstili Ürünleri Hazırlama, Dekoratif Ahşap Süsleme, Keçe Aksesuarları Yapımı, Sanat Kili ve Çiçek Kili Modelleme, Pasta Yapımı ve Sunumu, Aşçılık, Ahşap Boyama, Örgü Tekniği, Ahşap Oyma (Nah’t),Taş Baskı, Kitre Bebek, Geleneksel Türk El Sanatları, Bez Bebek, Saçaklama, Quilling Yapımı, Atık Kâğıt ve Muhtelif Ambalaj Aksesuar Yapımı, Tutkallı Hamur Çiçek, Kazaziye(Gümüş Takı İşlemeciliği), Kadın Giyim ve Modelistlik, Giyim Üretimi ve Pike Dikimi branşlarında ücretsiz eğitimler veriliyor.

[mc-critical]

I genuinely came to appreciate Ayşe Hatun a lot more on this rewatch. I love how well-constructed she is: she's the first established woman of SS's favourites' floor who, however, hasn't gotten further than a favourite, which makes her the main representative of both the harem concubines in Topkapi in the present through her embodying their collective wish to rise higher themselves, resenting everyone else who does that instead of them, and Manisa's past in terms of the harem through her having achieved her status there and actually enjoying that status for a bit (SS inviting her to a halvet in E01, them giving her seperate chambers in E02) instead of mourning it [which differentiates her from Mahidevran, Gülfem and pretty much the whole Manisa gang - they all have particular experiences that can't be replicated in this new reality (or in Gülfem's case, these experiences are merely lost hardships endured in the even more distant past, right on the spot, and moved on from as much as possible, so the character is introduced to us from that point), Ayşe's predicament is the only one that completely builds off of Manisa's]. This allows her to have rapports with as many people as possible, as fleshed out as they can be, that linger or evolve naturally, all building up to the plots she's involved in and her subsequent finish: her respect for Mahidevran which introduces the importance of her position for the concubines and makes her defend her in E10 and E13, these respective scandals inciting Nigar's "two sultanas" dilemma and letting Hürrem lose her composure completely due to the provocations; her neutral politeness/affability to rivalry to straight-up enmity with Hürrem, each stage reached organically with each event and setting up the concubines' further enstrangement from Hürrem, the temporary peace (E11-12) and the final E13 scandal; her genuine fondness of Gülnihal, revealing more of her caring side and intensifying her already bad blood with Hürrem; her resentment and distrust of Sadika, both bringing her even closer to the main ağas and kalfas, to the heart of the action, and alienating her from them, from the concubines, as she now has a separate plot... and then we lose her. There're also her reverence of Ibrahim, Sümbül and Nigar, coming out due to her involvement not just with Sadika but with the poison as well, and her familiarity with Gülşah, inciting her assistance in stealing the ring. We get to know her and care about her (and also root for her to quite an extent as we know she's right about Sadika), so when she's taken away from us, it's a big deal - a big showcase of the humanity and the involvement of the side characters the show will gradually lose as we lean more inside the empire instead (and I see this not as a flaw, but as a feature; well, most of the time...).

[mc-critical]

I'm sorry but no matter how many times I rewatch it, I really can't take Mahidevran's plot-line in E23 all that seriously, knowing that it's just a lot of fuss over nothing. The whole episode presents Gülnihal's stabbing as this big status quo change that has shaken the whole harem and its dynamics to the point this is the first time such a big event gets out of the palace (because Leo has to learn about this assassination attempt on Hürrem because the plot demands it, I guess... Look, it works for amplifying the tragedy to the max, as well as it gives Leo something to worry about alongside finishing the portrait to prepare us for his focus and devastating end in the next episode, but in the grand scheme of things... why this exact attempt?) and shifts in positions and more general caution are exercised (okay, we could argue Ayşe Hafsa's reaction was more severe here than for Ayşe Hatun's murder, because SS's kids, along with their mother, were directly threatened this time, but that brings the question of why didn't she react even more severely to the poison that could literally kill her son???? No, no, I know the answer to that question as well and I get it, but Hafsa's reaction in particular is so flanderized that it almost borders on... completely out of character in order to hammer that exact point home; also, why did no one actually search for Ayşe's killer after E15? The "bonus sympathy points for Hürrem" excuse doesn't really even apply here), but not much comes out of it. Not much that lingers, at least. The event that brought so much fear and precautions is never mentioned again afterwards, the investigation stopped completely (Ibrahim has reasons to stop investigating, but not Hafsa, whom Mahidevran managed to convince of her complete lack of involvement regardless of her suspicions and still doesn't focus on finding Ayşe Hatun's possible killer that many suspected to have something to do with this too!! The plot demands this too, I guess, for Sadika to be the twist for later...), Mustafa was worried about his mother, everyone was worried about Mahidevran's condition and Süleiman confronted her about it, hinting at an exile, and then zip; Gülnihal doesn't even leave because of this, but is randomly married off and that is sooo casually revealed to us after a timeskip, and worst of all, even the one relationship that has to move to a different stage (Mahidevran and Gülşah) doesn't entirely do so, as they pretty much go back to normal after the first episodes of S02! I dare even say it's almost like Mahidevran trusted Gülşah more in S02 than she did in S01, up until everything between them ended in E58, of course! The only thing that came out of this whole ordeal is Nigar being promoted to a baş kalfa as a culmination point to her story (and her dynamic with Mahidevran too, as well as her ambitious nature) that directly lead to Ibrahim finding out about Leo and Hürrem (and not gonna lie, I enjoyed Nigar's rise and payback a whole lot!), but I don't believe this is enough for such a Mahidevran-centric story that took so much of the episode.

Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore Mahidevran in this episode. I adore how she's so lost after something she feared happening happened, and totally out of her control this time, how she tries to grapple with it so imperfectly that she slowly but completely spirals in a way everyone else around her is impacted. While with the poison she tries to rationalize what she's done with the hope and convictions that it'll all be over afterwards, in E23 the circumstances are so final that she doesn't see any exit, only the fear and anxiety prevail. And it's really the first time even her supporters seem so unreachable as she has to twist the whole truth even in front of them this time. It's such a compelling character study exploring all angles of that one direction Mahidevran is pointing towards (contrasted with the poison where she goes on so many directions that are also fully explored; I also like the idea that Mahidevran becomes more closed off to servants later on precisely due to that whole incident) but sadly, that's all it is (E23 is why I was so wary of E45 for so long, why should I be prepared for a permanent change of the status quo there given what happened here and how nothing all that new occurs in E45 itself?). One could sure say the same about the poison, but the poison isn't just the most fascinating deep dive into Mahidevran at that point (and the first time we see beyond the emotional status quo she's initially characterized with), it also has an impact that is felt long after the fact: it's actually mentioned constantly no matter how much it appears to be brushed off, it fully sealed Süleiman's rejection of Mahidevran they both couldn't ever come back from, it added to Hürrem's motivations in a lasting way and most importantly, this was the first showcase of Mahidevran regretting something and it is one of the few times she actually does (and I love how everytime her regret is shown, it's always about something done to Mehmet; a great connecting thread!). Even though the show definitely bit off far more than it could chew with the poison, it's obviously there to make a clear point regardless of how said point it's executed (yeah, Ibrahim's reaction makes sense again, but Valide's...) and it's one of the first and most striking times where this point is made, not the gazillionth time when said point has gotten obvious and stale already, which is exactly what's happened by E23. The show also clearly wants us to see the poison as more symbolic than literal (i.e. "You poisoned our relationship, Mahidevran", its subtle religious connotation given how centered on religion E05 is and how Hürrem's prayers to Allah are paralleled with SS leaning on Allah for his conquest this episode and how both are E05's main plots and the episode itself basically ends on a prayer, and guess who the poison is targeting? - oh right!! Hürrem's 'salvation' given by Allah as well, I'm talking crazy af here ignore this btw it's unserious but like it is genuinely the impression I got while rewatching, and yes, even the "poisoned milk" - the poisoned milk is another cause for people like Hafsa to impose that "whore" image on Hürrem, she isn't literally being it but that will be a post for another day) and while this is a part of the show biting off much more than it could chew too, it sure works more than how the show wants us to take E23. E23 brings together all the plot holes up to this point and this is why I forgive it much less.

[mc-critical]

E09 is genuinely one of my favourite S01 episodes because after so much happens, we finally get to have at least a bit of a breather: the characters' relationships become the episode's centerpiece as we see not just the way they develop in the aftermaths of past events (Hürrem and Gülnihal and Nigar Kalfa; Hürrem and Ibrahim; Süleiman and Mahidevran), but also how they operate in these calmer times after the recent status quos have already sunk in (Mahidevran and Hatice; Hürrem and Hatice; Valide and Hatice); we see them more loose, we see them in all of their humanity, we see these people live in their world. But since the status quo of the series is consistently chaotic and ever-changing, we also see our known relationships grapple with familiar challenges put in another, newer light (Hatice and Ibrahim and Süleiman; Mahidevran and Gülşah; Mahidevran and Mustafa) and a setup for an entirely new plot-line that allows new relationships to flourish (Viktoria and Matrakci and Ibrahim; Viktoria and Nigar; Viktoria and Ayşe; Viktoria and Bonçuk; .......Viktoria's dynamics with everyone, really, but these four are especially emphasized on in the episode and have their serious payoffs later). Nothing ever stays the same; sometimes it gets better, sometimes it gets way worse, so the episode constantly oscillates between emotional upturns and downturns, fragile and strong; the characters constantly waver between happiness, hope and despair. Until everything planted crescendoes into the prospect of a huge tragedy (the possible death of the sehzades in a fire in this very castle) and the episode ends — the status quo is likely to shift forever and the next episode will put another version of that possibility into action in an even more final way (the distant but looming, apparently fact death of the sultan).

[minetteskvareninova]

Magnificent Century Characters & Ships As Songs In My Favourites List On YouTube

Mahidevran

Şah Sultan

Nigar kalfa

Gülfem x Hatice

Şehzade Mustafa

Mihrimah

Süleyman x Ibrahim

Huricihan x Bayezit

Esmahan x Mehmet

Gülşah & Fatma

[topkapiharem]

I recently asked you about how Nigar would fair as a Sultana. Now I'm wondering how other servants would have faired if they switched positions with their mistresses.

So how do you think e.g. Gülşah, Fahriye, Canfeda, Cennet and Lalezar would have been if they didn't become kalfas?

Oh Gülşah would have been terrible in Mahidevran's position. Considering how stupid, violent, cruel and arrogant she was. This is the same woman after all who was a liability to both Mahidevran and Hürrem, encouraged Mahidevran's worst instincts and behaved like a High School mean girl.

Fahriye had some similarities with Hürrem. Given that she arrived at the palace 'wild' and became a loyal member of Hürrem's circle. I think she showed herself to be quite intelligent (e.g. thinking fast when she was almost caught for the assassination attempt on Hürrem), as well as having a sense of integrity, being quite perceptive and capable of doing ruthless deeds. I think she has the qualities to be a Sultana.

Cennet is interesting. Because we're told that she was arrogant as Mehmet III's favourite before her face was burned. And she became jaded after that. So if we're talking about the Cennet who was a favourite, she already failed on the way to becoming a Sultana. But the more cynical version of Cennet was someone who I think had enough intelligence and self-respect to be a Sultana.

I think Lalezar was best suited to be a kalfa. She had the sense of loyalty and the no nonsense attitude that work best in that environment. She was loyal and intelligent but didn't have the ruthlessness that Kösem did. She would have probably been 'nicer' and less excessive than Kösem, but I don't know how that would have worked out for her.

[minetteskvareninova]

Which MC/MCK Character Belongs To Heaven? A Tier List

(All celestial realms only have three circles because I am lazy. Haven’t seen season 2 of Kösem in full, so I didn’t dare to judge. Also, this is about actual morality, quality as a character, as well as about how much I like them.)

Heaven 1st circle (second only to Jesus in God’s eyes): Cihangir, Gülnihal, Leo, Bülbül aga 2nd circle (mistakes were made, but overall we’ve canonized worse people): Anastasia!Kösem, Afife, Daye, Gül aga, Matrakçi, Sadika, Gölge, Sayeşte, Hüsrev pasha 3rd circle (heaven is half-empty anyway, I guess you’ll do): Bayezit (MC), Isabella Fortuna, Armin, Beyhan, Isabella Fortuna, Şeker aga, sultan Ahmet, Mehmet Giray, Mihrünissa, sultan Mustafa, Zülfikar

Purgatory 1st circle (a few months and like one forgiven murder from heaven at most): Hatice, Ayas pasha, Ayşe (MC, season 1), Cevher, Ebu Suud, Efsun, Firuze, Lokman aga, Nigar kalfa, Sümbül, Cennet, Derviş pasha, Handan, sultan Osman 2nd circle (your sins don’t outnumber the times you made this show infinitely better by your mere presence): Hürrem, Mahidevran, Fatma sultan, Mercan, Nurbanu, Şah, Fahriye sultan, Gabriella de Sfeo 3rd circle (I hereby sentence you for being a boring bitch): şehzade Mustafa, Aybige, Dudu, Elif, Esma, Fidan, Helena, Nurbahar, Nazli, Nilüfer, Atmaca, Halil pasha (MCK, s1), Iskender, Yavuz, Zümrüt aga, Fahriye kalfa, Rümeysa, Ayşe (MC season 3), Hadim Süleyman

Limbo (Who? I mean, those I don’t remember well enough): Alvise Gritti, Defne, Iskender pasha, Pedro, Anne of Poland, Gazanfer, Canfeda, Gracia Mendes, Kara Ahmet pasha, Lala Mustafa pasha, Piri pasha, Sinan pasha, Sokollu Mustafa, shah Tamhasp

Hell 1st circle (Satan has a super rad party here and guess what, you’re invited): Fatma (MC, seasons 2&3), Gülşah (see, it’s hell cause they are here together), Rüstem pasha, Safiye, Dilruba, Halime, Davut pasha, Menekşe, Şahin Giray 2nd circle (your only sin is being annoying but boy have you sinned): Mihrimah, s1!Kösem, Esmahan, Huricihan, Nazenin, Taşlicali Yahya, Ahmet pasha (MC, season 1), Haci Mustafa, Hümaşah (MCK), Katerina (MCK), Kiraz aga, Mahfiruz, Mahfiruze, şehzade Mehmet (both) 3rd circle (Fuck you. Just fuck you.): Ayşe Hafsa, Gülfem, Bali Bey, Barbarossa, Louis II. of Hungary (the character, not the historical king whom they absolutely butchered, asjgh...), Meleki, Kuyucu Murat, Zal Mahmut

Superhell (for all of your gay crimes: Ibrahim pasha, Süleyman, Lütfi pasha (he’s not gay, but he is probably homophobic, so this is a double superhell for him), Reyhan aga

[minetteskvareninova]

Ranking of Kalfas and Aghas in MC/K? (You can rank Kalfas and Aghas together or separately, your decision)

Ahhh... Asking only the easiest of questions, are we? Very well... (Again, I should probably add some after the rewatch, I don't remember everyone, blah blah, you know the drill.)

KALFAS 1. Nigar - You must've known she would end up here the second you asked that question. Yes, the writers haven't been kind to her. But trough hell or high water, in good writing and bad, Nigar was never not the smartest person in the room. She maintained some of her spark almost to the very end. Press f in chat for the best girl. 2. Cennet - I am very biased towards characters with very strong personalities, which is why Fatma was the best sultana of blood in my eyes. And Cennet has one hell of a personality. Even when the writing of other characters revolved solely around their relationship to Kösem (Halime was her antagonist, so she became a moustache-twirling villain, etc.), she maintained hers to the very end. It was in fact so strong she was apparently was able to seduce pretty boys like half her age just trough it. A legend, I tell ya. 3. Daye - A solid third place for a solid lady. Nothing but respect for MY chief kalfa. 4. Afife - She's... Likeable. Also has that "tough but fair" thing going on that makes her different enough from Daye to make me mildly intrigued with her character. Not my favourite by any means, but pretty good. 5. Menekşe - Our goth sultana's preppy sidekick isn't, alas, very deep or interesting. But she's ride or die for Halime, and as someone who is also mostly ride or die for Halime, I can't not appreciate that. Besides, at least she has some consistent personality. That's not a given with these girls. 6. Gülşah - She had been in the show for so long and had such a strong, consistent presence that I can't help myself from becoming a little bit fond of her. She's a horrible person, but she would do anything for Mahi's pretty eyes, and can you blame her? Her fall from Mahidevran's good graces was actually kind of sad. That said, for all of my sympathies, she does undeniably suck. 7. Fahriye - In principle, she should be pretty fascinating, going from hating Hürrem for relatively understandable reasons to unconditional loyalty to her. Unfortunately, the show never allows us much insight into her thoughts and feelings, especially during her defection to Hürrem. She is just kinda stuck with her after the assassination attempt. Apparently, she develops some sympathies for Hürrem after hating her guts... Why? And after the defection, she doesn't seem to have much personality at all. What a waste. 8. Fidan - Similar problem, except where Fahriye was kinda interesting as a fighter and Mahidevran's top agent, Fidan is just... Some lady that does what Hürrem tells her, untill Ayşe Hafsa forces her to turn away from Hürrem. She then starts serving Mahidevran, in fact, she becomes her most loyal attendant... For some reason. Also, her friendship with Fatma seems to exist solely for Fatma to have someone to talk to. *yawn* 9. Dudu - If you sucked away everything that made Daye and Afife distinct, you would get Dudu. Even as a big fan of Kösem season 1 I have no opinion of her, which is saying something.

AGHAS 1. Sümbül - I mean, this is kind of a honorary position, isn't it? Sümbül wasn't always the kindest or funniest, and could at times be annoying. But much like Hürrem and Mahi, he stuck for the long haul, and for all of the moments good and bad, he deserves the first place. 2. Bülbül - How did this precious little cinnamon roll end up in the service of the most evil sultana of her era is still a mystery to me. Romantic love is the only explanation. Either way, a middle-aged man has no right to be this adorable. Your honor, I love him. 3. Gül - This was a very close race. He's a lot like Bülbül, but with a bit of a mean streak and the level of devotion that crosses over to asskissing. Still, he's pretty funny, and most of the time a nice person, except where his legendary rivalry with Sümbül is concerned. 4. Mercan - He's also close to the third and second place, and in many ways is hard to compare to the others. Which, I give him credit even just for the novelty; where most prominent eunuchs in the show are loud and effeminate, to suddenly have this silent gigachad stand next to fucking Sümbül... Well, he's nothing if not memorable. His stoic exterior hides a heart that beats for but one thing - his mistress... But I'd better stop before this turns into a fanfic. 5. Kiraz - I'll just say that if the writers needed a small annoying creature following Afife's every step, they could've just given her a dog. 6. Haci - He has two modes: asshole and Kösem's lackey. Needless to say, I don't like either of them. His rivalry with Bülbül is a pale shadow of Sümbül and Gül, mostly consisting of Haci being a dick for no reason and Bülbül being annoyed by it. Which, how dare he be mean to my precious Bülbül?!

[mc-critical]

I can tell you adore Mahidevran, so I need to ask. Between all of her kalfas (Gulsah, Fatma, Fidan, Diana/Fahriye), who did you prefer and who do you think she had the strongest relationship with?

Ahh, yes, I adore her so much! 😊 Thank you for the question, because I find this topic very interesting and I've always wanted to cover it. (that's why, along with my favourite relationship, I'll go through them all.)

The relationships Mahidevran had with her kalfas/servants are consistently determined by boundless loyalty and ability to be relied on in every case. And that's normal, because it's what's expected in the system and her role as a sultana where every mistake has the chance to put you in a dangerous position, even if it's out of your sole control. However, these relationships evolve as she evolves in many different ways and I don't feel she treats her servants all that badly as the fanbase makes it out to be at times. They play a role in humanizing her just like her other positive relationships and she has her fair share of soft moments with them.

My vote for Mahidevran's best relationship with a kalfa (also my personal favourite character of the bunch) goes to Fidan. She represents the best of Mahidevran's newfound calmness and levity in later seasons - it's perhaps her most "mellow" relationship. It's also the most prominent one since Gülşah, which adds even more points. Mahidevran and Fidan get closer with time. First they didn't have much of a base where she was in Hürrem's party at first (though she still shared more scenes with Gül Aga than her) and then Gülşah and Fatma overshadowed her role, but afterwards it was clear how much they respected and trusted each other. The loyal aspect of such relationship certainly played the strongest with Fidan - while following Mahidevran's every order and always doing her duties faithfully without a second thought, she was this devoted to Mahidevran to the point I feel a part of her shared her principles for following tradition (as seen with both Fatma and Ayşe Hatun) and didn't want to leave her when she was in poverty and offered her to leave herself in order to find a better life. Fidan loved Mahidevran so much she assured her she didn't have any fault in E105 and asked her how did she forgive Hürrem after everything. Mahidevran hasn't really been that cordial with her servants for a long time, that's why Fidan was such a big step for her: she finally found one who would be always by her side, one she could fully trust and share everything with. And Mahidevran knew it well, especially by the end of S03 and the whole S04: she entrusted her to be her baş kalfa until the end, Fidan was the only one who knew about her plan for Mehmet,  they both went to the woman who gave the fortune amulet for Mustafa in E123. They worked together and it showed, in more harmony than Mahidevran's other relationships of this kind. They complemented each other so well with their gained and present emotional maturity. There barely were problems between them, except for them disagreeing about Rumeysa in E96 and some moments where Fidan made grave mistakes (like losing the trails of the spy in E78). Fidan knew Mahidevran well, being aware and sympathetic of all her experiences, while demanding respect for her of the others in the harem in a way that doesn't harm her. Fidan is the servant Mahidevran has been the most lenient to, while demanding the necessary amount of loyalty.

Admittedly, I find Mahidevran's relationship with Gülşah interesting, in spite of its toxicity. They begin with years of experience together and it's perhaps the relationship where Mahidevran expresses her vulnerability and desires most openly, at least at first. Gülşah is clearly dedicated to her sultana, even if in a very unhealthy way: she ties Mahidevran's wishes to her own to the point what Gülşah wants automatically becomes what Mahidevran needs in her eyes, no matter that her mistress may tell her the opposite. Gülşah's excuse is always that she does everything for her sultana's own good, but she actually clings to her selfish impulses more often than not. When Mahidevran told her numerous times not to act against Hürrem, Gülşah felt she must at all costs do so, even in secret, when she was the one offended, knowing that Mahidevran may not want it now, but that life would be better for them both when it's done anyway. And it's a pattern that is followed with many actions of Gülşah's before and afterwards, making the loyalty to Mahidevran disappear more and more, without Gülşah actually realizing it. I get why she would want to go for this stuff: outside of Mahidevran, Gülşah doesn't have anyone, really - she's usually mocked in the harem by Nigar, Sümbül, Gül and even Şeker Aga or Daye later alike. Her serving Mahidevran may be her only solace not only in terms of existence (that's why she felt so helpless when Mahi finally showed her the door), but also in terms of status and respect, hence even when she makes up stuff or does something wrong, she feels it may up their duty to respect her, as much as it may even Mahidevran's odds against Hürrem. But what Gülşah actually ends up doing isn't at all helpful and only does more harm and brings more trouble than it's worth. That's why I feel Mahidevran should've shown her the door even earlier. That's why Gülşah "goes too far away from her role" and it all causes more suffering both for her and Mahidevran.

Mahidevran, in her part, cares about Gülşah a lot, though, and I felt it's namely that care, that strive of Gülşah's to make things right so many times, the reminder of the long time she served her and Mahidevran's need to feel less alone, for someone to listen and share her worries with when problems occur (which is more in S01 than in S02, but still) what made her to keep her for this much time, despite that she was certainly aware of the fact that Gülşah may cause her problems. An interesting thing I found on rewatch is that Mahidevran didn't trust her as much early on as she trusted, say, Fidan or Fatma, seen by how hesitant she was to even give her the task to poison Hürrem. (or is that also because of Mahidevran's own uncertainty of the whole thing that the wish of seeing Hürrem's end ultimately prevailed over? Eh, maybe both.) She also consistently asked her was she sure about what she has heard or seen, she read through her moods quickly, managing to realize when she messed up (or wasn't fine in general) in E23, along with having suspicions in E58 etc. - maybe they had issues in Manisa, too, but they magnified by thousand in Topkapi, going beyond Mahidevran's every expectation or doubt. Mahidevran's most negative traits in Topkapi often manifested through Gülşah: shifting the blame to her and her alone in the poison situation, beating her up in E23, letting her stress and anger out on her, which was a big episode for her. But at the same time, Mahidevran vouched for Gülşah more than anyone- she didn't want to give her up even in her biggest crime in E23, she was so glad when she was back in E09, she usually turned to her first when good things were happening. It's like Gülşah was supposed to be the one next to her, but after a certain point, Mahidevran kept her only because of narrative stagnation when she trusted her in S02 much more than she did in S01 before her biggest screwup. They both weren't a good influence on each other overall. It was a necessary relationship for Mahidevran's story, but she's much better off without her. Gülşah also did a part in triggering Mahidevran's worst instincts in acting in tense situations and it's even worse that except for one case, she was always rightfully harsh even when she went too far: Gülşah's obsession for her triggered her own worst character traits as much as it did her best ones. The situation with Gülşah in E23 is probably what caused Mahidevran to seem more closed off with servants aside from Fidan when it came to showing as much care and letting them near her.

I see Mahidevran's relationship with Fatma as more mixed: while she appreciated her loyalty as she said in E81 and realized that it would've been better for her to leave the harem after little Süleiman's death before she got worse, there were times when both of them were at odds. Fatma was probably the biggest offender of the side of Mahidevran's that is closing herself off I mentioned above (along with her getting carried away in her own power and victory while ruling the harem in S02): she didn't appreciate Fatma "biting off more than she could chew" and going maybe too far with her ambition for Mustafa in her eyes. She also had several other problems with her: she wasn't okay with Fatma neglecting her child. She, as a keeper of tradition, wasn't okay with her complaining about Helena. She rightfully wasn't okay with her crying and complaining that could harm the baby in her belly. She was still willing to sacrifice her in a point of no return to prevent Mustafa from marrying Helena when reasoning with him didn't work. Mahidevran sure appreciated what Fatma did for her, kept her by her side when she ruled the harem (yes, she did that also because of Fatma's stunt with the concubine that had to go to Mustafa, but still, Fatma's loyalty was also a reason.) and cared for her wellbeing, but it felt like Fatma was never truly in her complete favor, Mahidevran never truly opened up to her the way she could with others. She had to always keep an eye on her and keep her in check. It certainly was a better relationship than with Gülşah, Fatma was definitely doing her job very well and she and Mahidevran still had nice moments that contrasted with her strictness here, but it still wasn't the best.

Diana started out in a very promising manner and it was a very unusual start for Mahidevran herself, as well: Diana is both rebellious, yet loyal and honest; and that honesty in her eyes caused Mahidevran to believe her even though she, for all Mahi knew, could've lied about did she steal the money from the concubine or not anyway. Mahidevran could discard the usual scolding for causing strife in the harem when the one who caused it showed loyalty. Mahidevran valued that Diana was merely following her duties, even though it was why her plan for Helena went wrong, which is an indicator of her character development: showing her progression in reaction once she could pull herself together and move forward and was being overally more collected and patient. (she wouldn't have reacted like this in S01/2) Diana was in the position of a servant who was slowly winning Mahidevran's favor time and time again to the point Mahi began fully trusting her to do a dangerous task. It all began to falter once she was sent to Topkapi, though: it seemed like Diana and Mahi didn't keep in touch that much (the message in E90 aside) due to the risky circumstances and Şah Sultan's interference and once she became Fahriye Kalfa, she ultimately became much more devoted to Hürrem than she ever was to Mahidevran. It's like the loyalty to Mahidevran had no ground to stand on anymore, hence Mahidevran couldn't trust her anymore and them parting ways. I admit I didn't like the direction the writers took Diana to, in spite of its inevitability: she lost nearly everything that made her so interesting to begin with and was hardly that involved in the story anymore; it's saddening when she had such a solid foundation. I have a soft spot for this foundation: it was an amazing start for Mahidevran's new "life chapter" and it helped soften her up when we went forward for Fidan, too. 

[minetteskvareninova]

Magnificent Century AU: A harem anime

(this was absolutely inspired by @redxluna and her posts about yanderes in this show, which made me think about who might be the rest of the tropes, and it just unraveled from there)

- our dumbass male protagonist: Süleyman obviously

- his yandere: Mahidevran AND Hürrem, two for a price for one!

- his tsundere: Ibrahim

- the one-night-stand who thinks she’s the tsundere: Ayşe hatun

- his genki girl: Firuze

- his himedere: Isabella Fortuna

- his (involuntary) sadodere: Sadika

- the third wheel in a love triangle subplot with the tsundere: Hatice

- the third wheel in a love triangle subplot with the tsundere no.2: Nigar kalfa

- the third wheel in a love triangle subplot with one of the yandere: Gülşah

- the unlucky childhood friend pining after the other yandere: Leo AND Gülnihal

- the third wheel who manages to get the sadodere off the protagonist’s back: Matrakçi Nasuh

- the nosy parent who plays the role of a harem nanny, badly: Ayşe Hafsa

- loyal retainer who also plays the role of a harem nanny and also sucks at it: Sümbül

- the sister who had to be sent away to prevent this from becoming one of THOSE harem anime for her own amusement: Fatma

- the sister who is Done With This Shit: Şah

- the one person who saw that PSA from The Mother’s Basement and knows where this is heading: Daye

- local protagonist x tsundere shipper: Gül aga

- local protagonist x genki girl shipper: Afife

- local creep whose appearance marks the transition to the Next Gen: Bali Bey