- Muhterem is a Turkish actress and singer who made her professional career debut in 1951
- The actress had a difficult childhood and career start-up but worked very hard to become a successful entertainer before she died in March 2020
- Prior to her death, Muhterem is known to have been married to popular performers, Isin Kaan and Müslüm Gürses
Muhterem Nur is a Turkish-born entertainer that made her professional career debut in 1951 with films like Beni Mahvettiler, Kore’de Türk Kahramanları, and Yıldızlar Revüsü.
The entertainer lost her mom the day she was born and was raised by her maternal aunty amidst several financial and societal challenges. More so, she never had a father figure in her life because nobody knew who her biological father was.
However, Nur’s story changed for the better when she was introduced to the cinema in 1951 by Suzan Yakar Rutkay – a talented singer and producer.
Throughout her life, the actress dated many celebrities. She notably married Isin Kaan between 1961 to 1963. She married Müslüm Gürses in 1988 and the couple was only parted by death.
Early Life of Muhterem Nur
Muhterem Nur was born on 31 December 1932 in Bitola, Yugoslavia (North Macedonia).
Originally born Aysel Kisa, the actress had a very difficult early life due to the unfortunate circumstances that surrounded her birth and upbringing. The absence of her parents contributed to her struggles. Furthermore, the harsh societal demands in her time were nothing short of a thorn in the flesh.
She was forced to change her name from Muhterem Nur to Ogla as a result of the Yugoslavian regime’s assimilation campaign which mandated all ethnic Turks and other Muslims in Yugoslavia adopt Christian names and renounce Muslim customs.
She also did not have a stable location while growing up. First, her family moved to settle in Tekirdağ in Turkey shortly after she was born. But their stay in Tekirdağ was cut short because of financial problems. In 1942, she was again moved to Instanbul where she lived in a small house in the Eyüp district where her name was changed back to Aysel Muhterem Kisa.
At Eyüp, Nur was able to have her elementary education.
After completing school, she became a factory worker and it was while she was in the factory that she met Suzan Yakar Rutkay who helped her develop her entertainment career.
All about Nur’s Entertainment Career
The Turkish actress initially started acting as a background actress in the movie Yıldızlar Revüsü in 1951. Even though she continued to only feature as a movie extra, her salary was 5 times more than what she used to receive when she was in the factory.
Her first lead role was in the 1958 movie Üç Arkadaş where she acted as a blind girl. The movie became a huge success and was able to push the actress to stardom in a very short period of time. This made her clinch other cinema movie roles like Boş Beşik (1952) and Sabahsız Geceler (1952).
Between 1965 to 1967, Nur experienced challenges in pushing through the Cinemas because of changes affecting movie themes in that era. As a result of this, she decided to vocationally perform dancing until she was able to make a comeback to the Cinema.
A Quick Look at Some of Her Works
The actress has featured in T.V series such as Denizin Kanı 1978, Dokuzuncu Hariciye Koğuşu 1985 and Yuva 1990. She has also starred in 2 Television Films; Kuşlu Çorap 1988 and Bir Akıllı Bir Deli 2002.
In addition, she has starred in about 200 feature films. Her earliest works include Beni Mahvettiler 1951, Kore’de Türk Kahramanları 1951 and Yıldızlar Revüsü 1952. Some of the last works she did include Sev Yeter (1984), Küskünüm (1986), and (Esrarlı Gözler) 2008.
Even though the actress is known to be a singer at a point in her life, not many of her songs are available. Nevertheless, she is known for songs like Kaderimin Oyunu, Dert Bende, and Ben Gamu Hazan.
Nur is further reckoned with numerous awards such as the 4th Adana Golden Boll Film Festival Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also received the 17th International Istanbul Film Festival Honor Award in 1998. In 2003, The actress received the 40th Golden Orange Film Festival Life Achievement Award and she has also clinched the 3rd Silk Road Film Festival Honor Award.
The Turkish Entertainer Married Twice in Her Lifetime
Muhterem Nur was married 2 times all her life. Her first marriage was to Isin Kaan in 1961. Her estranged husband Kaan, was a journalist and an actor who lived between 1937-1992. The couple only stayed together for about 2 years before deciding to split.
The reason behind their separation is still not known but it may have been due to individual differences or infidelity.
Some people have cited infidelity because the actress is known to have dated several other celebrities like Memduh Ün who used to be a Turkish film producer, director, and screenwriter. She also dated Ümit Utku, Cihat Aşkın, Yılmaz Duru and Efkan Efekan.
Muhterem Nur’s Marriage to Müslüm Gürses
The entertainer’s second marriage was to Müslüm Gürses. The paths of the couple crossed in 1982 when they were both scheduled to perform in a casino in Malatya. At first, their meeting started on a very bad note, to the point that Gürses hit Nur hit Muhterem Nur due to the misunderstanding they had.
Because of this, Nur became very upset and decided to leave Malatya the next day. She however spotted Gürse in his room while she made her exit from the hotel and went over to talk things over. Gürses was surprisingly remorseful and apologized for hitting her. The couple settled their scores and that became the beginning of their friendship.
In the course of their friendship, the entertainers realized that they had so much in common. For instance, they both came from very poor backgrounds and also lost their parents while they were still very young.
Also at the time they met, Muhterem Nur had lost her fame in the cinema, and Gürses was having issues with alcohol. They healed each other’s wounds somehow and moved on to build a marriage that lasted for nearly 3 decades.
The couple got married on May 5, 1986, after dating for 4 years. They lived together for 26 years and got separated only after Müslüm Gürses was pronounced dead on March 3, 2013, due to a heart bypass surgery.
What Exactly Led to Muhterem’s Death?
7 years after Nur lost her husband Müslüm Gürses, she also died. The late actress died at the Istinye State Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey as a result of diabetes which led to Multiple organ dysfunction syndromes.
Prior to her death, Nur battled the disease for some time and was taken to the intensive care unit on February 20, 2020. However, she gave up one month later. Her remains were kept in Zincirlikuyu Cemetery, İstanbul, Turkey.
While Muhterem Nur is greatly missed by her fans, friends, and close associates, there is hardly any information to confirm whether or not she left any kids behind except for one Serhat Süs whose updates on Instagram suggest he is a son to Muhterem and Gürses.
Be that as it may, Nur’s memory will mostly linger not as a destitute orphan but as an accomplished entertainer who found strength in the arms of her aunt and an exceptional husband whom she hopes to see as she treads the path of immortals.
