Nur Felek Kadinefendi

Nur Felek Kadinefendi was the first consort of Isma'il Pasha of Egypt. She was born in Greece in 1837. Her maiden name was Tatiana. At a young age, she was captured during one the raids and sold into slavery. She was delivered as a concubine to the harem of Sa'id,the Wāli of Egypt in 1852. However, Isma'il Pasha, then not yet the Khedive of Egypt, took Tatiana as a concubine for him. She gave birth to Prince Hussein Kamel Pasha in 1853. She later converted to Islam and her name was changed to Nur Felek. When Isma'il Pasha ascended the throne in 1863, she was elevated to the rank of first Kadinefendi, literally meaning first consort, or wife. Nur Felek had a high status in the imperial palace, since she was the mother of Isma'il's second eldest son. Isma'il's eldest son was Tewfik Pasha, son of the Turkish concubine Shafaq Nur Hanimefendi. After the removal of Abbas II, her son Hussein Kamel became Sultan of Egypt and she became the mother Sultana, a title equivalent to Queen mother and Valide Sultan, a rank higher than the Walida Pasha, the title held by mothers of reigning Khedives like Hoshiar Kadinefendi, mother of Isma'il Pasha and Emina Ilhamy, mother of Abbas II.

Death

Nur Felek Kadinefendi died at Mamure Sarayi, Alexandria on Tuesday 15 August 1916 and was buried at Imam-i Şafii. She died during the reign of her son,Sultan Hussein Kamel.