‘Everything beautiful in İstanbul was made by my grandfathers.’ Neslişah Sultan
This is the story of the last Ottoman Princess born in 1921 in Nişantaşı, İstanbul who was the last Ottoman inscribed in the palace register of dynasty members just months before the fall of the Ottoman Empire. That is Neslişah Sultan. She was the eldest daughter of Şehzade Ömer Faruk, only son of Caliph Abdulmejid II, and Sabiha Sultan, youngest daughter of Sultan Mehmed VI.
In 1924, the Princess left for Nice with the rest of the Ottoman family members. In 1940, Princess Neslişah married Prince Muhammad Abdel Moneim, son of Egypt’s last Khedive Abbas Hilmi II, The couple had two children; Prince Abbas Hilmi and Princess Ikbal Moneim. After the July 1952 Revolution, the Princess became the First Lady of the Court. She was an exceptionally gifted woman fluent in French, English, German and Arabic as well as being an avid skier, swimmer and equestrian.
Note that Neslişah Sultan is wearing a late 18th century necklace and earrings made from diamonds of various tints belonging to Empress Catherine I of Russia who gifted them to Sultan Ahmed III of the Ottoman Empire, as peace offering to end the Pruth River Campaign in 1711. The necklace was given to Neslişah Sultan as a wedding gift.
This set from 18th century was sold by Neslişah Sultan in 1963 at Christie’s in London. It was expected to change hands again in the 2016 auction but I failed to trace its current owners.
Women from the Ottoman Dynasty were not allowed to return or visit Turkey till 1953 but one exception was Neslişah Sultan. She was able to visit İstanbul in 1947 as the Egyptian Princess with her husband. That is 22 years after she left her homeland as a 3 years old Ottoman Princess. Papers did not utter a word about her Ottoman descent but simply said that she was the Egyptian Princess visiting Turkey with her husband the Egyptian Prince.
Neslişah Sultan moved back to İstanbul after 1963 when Ottoman women were allowed to return to their homeland and took the last name ‘Osmanoğlu’. She was an admirer of Atatürk who was the founder of modern Turkey and had a deep love for İstanbul and her homeland which she has had to stay away in exile for decades.
Here is an interview with the last princess in her home in İstanbul in which she talks about her memories of her childhood in the Imperial İstanbul and love for her homeland.
The last princess passed away at the age 91 in 2012 and is resting in one of the most beautiful cemeteries in İstanbul in Aşiyan overlooking the Bosphorus full of palaces and mosques her ancestors had built!
She will always be remembered with her great charm, her elegance and her deep love for her country!
If you are interested in learning more about the last Princess of Ottoman Dynasty, consider reading her biography written by Murat Bardakçı.
