Nevvare Hanımefendi

Nevvare Hanım (4 May 1901 - 22 April 1992) was the Empress consort of Sultan Mehmed VI of the Ottoman Empire.

Life

Empress Nevvare Hanım was born on 4 May 1901 in Derbent, Russia into an Abkhazian family. Born as Ayşe Çıhcı, she was the daughter of Mustafa Bey Çıhcı and his wife Hafize Kap, the daughter of Nevruz Bey Kap. Through her grandfather Süleyman Bey, she was related to Empress Müveddet Kadın, consortof Sultan Mehmed VI,whose grandfather was the brother of Süleyman Bey. She also had three brothers, Ahmet Şükrü Bey, Hasan Bey and Fikri Bey, and three sisters, Şefika Hanım, Halime Hanım and Hacer Nüvit Hanım. She was tall, had green eyes, long black hair and fair complexion.

Ayşe was taken from Russia to Istanbul, where she was delivered at the court of Prince Şehzade Mehmed Vahideddin (future) Mehmed VI. The future Empress Müveddet Kadın took her in her care. She was renamed Nevvare and was given thoroughly Turkish and Muslim education in the harem department of the Çengelköy Palace. Although Sultan Mehmed VI was 40 years older than Nevvare, she consented to the will of their parents in the marriage proposal of the Sultan. The marriage took place on 20 July 1918 in the Dolmabahçe Palace, Istanbul. However, no children came of this marriage. When Prince Mehmed came to the throne, she then took the position of the Üçüncü Kadın. When the Sultan Mehmed VI was deposed, she joined the deposed Sultan in exile in San Remo, Italy, where they divorced on 20 May 1924.

In 1926 she married secondly to Mevlüd Bey, and took the name Leyla Sönmezler. They settled in Şişli. In the beginning of 1970s they bought a house in the village of Derbent where she lived until her death. She died on 22 April 1992 in Derbent and was buried in a cemetery in Derbent.

References