“it doesn't matter which prince is older or in what order they came to this world. the strongest one takes the throne. but above all, the one with the powerful mother.”
“I know Hurrem is not an angel. Nobody is. But she has one quality that none of you have. Loyalty. Absolute loyalty. Hurrem has never betrayed me before, never stabbed me in the back, never wanted to replace me while I still sit on the throne.”
“You're on one side and I'm on the other. Only in one case we would not be enemies, Mustafa. 𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘯. Then we would not be opponents in this bloody war.”
“this is a very strong poison. extremely effective. a few drops are enough to break a heart apart. your mouth fills with your own blood. you drown in it. i've been carrying it with me for some time…”
"I am Hürrem Sultan... I am the one who rose from being a slave to the top of the world. I am the one who passed through fire and ambush. I burned and I put the fires out. I learned the grief and oppressiveness of this world. I created a sultana out of this slave girl.”
“there were colors gülfem. there were voices and songs. there were such moments, when sparks would come out her fiery hair. the whole world would be filled with blessing. all the realm would flow through our veins. now there are no colors left.”
“Hurrem Sultan, also known as Roxelana, was Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent's chief consort and wife. She rose to become one of Ottoman history's most important and influential women, as well as a popular and divisive figure during the Sultanate of Women.”
“Hurrem was thus unjustly and harshly judged by her contemporaries for surviving and doing so brilliantly. Her rise was not only the result of Suleiman's love and benevolence, but also the result of her own intelligence, effort, and extraordinary political skill.”
“Are you going to kill me?”
“Do you have a doubt? What did you tell me that day? If I try to kill you again, you will have to defend yourself. That is your chance.”
“In fact you and I were two moths around the fire. That fire is Sultan Suleiman himself. I stopped. I knew my place. But you didn't, Ibrahim. You got closer and closer. You circled and burnt as you circled. You burnt to ashes.” —Hürrem Sultan
“I'm the moth revolving around the fire. I am Icarus whose wings melted as he got closer to the sun. I am Ibrahim of Parga... I am His Majesty's moth, his slave and his companion.”
s: “were you involved in mustafa's death?”
h: “who am i, suleiman? i'm your shadow on earth. whatever you want, i want it too. i'm not sinless. nobody is. i did what i had to do. just like you. do not look for innocence under this roof, suleiman.”
—Mihrimah Sultan was the most powerful imperial princess in Ottoman history. She was the wealthiest woman of the century, often loaning money to the treasury and spending her wealth on charity and good deeds.
“When I came to this palace, I was alone. No one protected me, and everyone was against me. Everyone said something about me; cruel, witch, wizard, cruel, but no one talked about what was done to me, no one!”
❝ In fact you and I were two moths around the fire. That fire is Sultan Suleiman himself. I stopped. I knew my place. But you didn't, Ibrahim. You got closer and closer. You circled and burnt as you circled. You burnt to ashes. ❞
“You'll go His Grace today, hand over your seal, ask to be relieved from your duties. After that, you'll leave the capital, never to return again.”
“And what do I get in return?”
“𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆, 𝑰𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆.”
“have you heard about hurrem sultan? they say she even could drown out the voices of all the women only with her whisper. hurrem sultan is power from head to toe; greatness from head to toe.”
“the vibrant, bright colors we used when hürrem first came to the palace during her rise step by step are actually for emphasizing her tacky side. hürrem started to dress like a real royal after a while.”
—serdar başbuğ, behind the scenes
❝ Historians write that Hurrem is a deceitful woman. I think, yes, she plotted intrigues but it was hard being a woman back then. It is difficult to be a woman even in our time. She's a powerful woman, a feminist...for that period. ❞
—— meryem uzerli.
s: “were you involved in mustafa's death?”
h: “who am i, suleiman? i'm your shadow on earth. whatever you want, i want it too. i'm not sinless. nobody is. i did what i had to do. just like you. do not look for innocence under this roof, suleiman.”
“I don't want to hurt you. But you should understand me. Seeing you like this is devastating. You're so close, yet I am not even allowed to look at you.”
“𝑳𝒆𝒐. 𝑰'𝒎 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆.”
—moments before disaster.
“but there's a dragon living in this palace. it's sleeping now. like it's in a different shape now, it's in water like a fish. but such a strong wind will blow and the fish in the water will turn into a dragon in time.”
“Ibrahim of Parga, my sworn enemy [...] Souls are immortal, I know. I will have to face unsettled accounts sooner or later. Then we’ll meet again, Ibrahim.”
“You're on one side and I'm on the other. And unfortunately the peace of one side means disaster for the other. Only in one case we would not be enemies, Mustafa. 𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘯. Then we would not be opponents in this bloody war.”
“I had four sons. I've already lost two! I have already buried my two lion cubs! I won't feel the same pain again! I will not allow it! 𝑰𝒇 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚'𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎!”
—valide sultan threatens suleyman.