Iranian Princess Fatemeh Khanum

The real story behind the viral photo of Iranian Princess Fatemeh Khanum “‘Esmat al-Dowleh- recently a photo of Princess Esmat circulated by claming that "she was considered the ultimate symbol of beauty in Persia during the early 1900s. So much in fact, a total of 13 young men killed themselves because she rejected their love" -

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However, @victoriamartinezwriter wrote 'The only part of the meme that has a grain of truth to it is that there was indeed a period in Persian history when ‘Esmat’s appearance – namely, her “mustache” – was considered beautiful.' and that 'The primary figure in this history is Princess Fatemeh Khanum “‘Esmat al-Dowleh”[1] (1855/6-1905), a daughter of Nasar al-Din Shah Qajar (1831-1896), King of Persia from 1848-1896, and one of his wives, Taj al-Dowleh. The photograph circulating is indeed ‘Esmat, not an actor, and was taken by her husband circa the mid- to late-19th century. This information alone, readily available online and in print, contradicts the claim that ‘Esmat was “the ultimate symbol of beauty… in the early 1900s.” Since the photo of ‘Esmat was taken years before then, and she died in 1905, it’s a stretch to make her an icon of a period she barely graced'