16th Century

Roxelana (c. 1502-1558), known as Hürrem Sultan, rose from slavery to become Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent's legal wife and the most powerful woman in Ottoman history.

Sayyida al-Hurra (probably born c. 1485-1495, died c. 1552-1561) governed the Moroccan port city of Tétouan from 1519 until 1542, ran a privateering campaign against Spanish and Portuguese shipping in alliance with Oruç Reis, and married Ahmed al-Wattasi, Sultan of Fez, in 1541.

Suleiman I (r. 1520-1566), known as 'the Magnificent' in the West and 'the Lawgiver' in the Islamic world, presided over the Ottoman Empire at its zenith. His reign marked the peak of Ottoman military, political, and cultural power across three continents.