Mezidimestan Kadın

Mezidimestan Kadın (3 March 1869 – 21 January 1909) was the Empress consort of Sultan Abdul Hamid II of the Ottoman Empire.

Biography

Empress Mezidimestan Kadın was born as the daughter of Kaymat Bey Mikanba and his wife Princess Feryal Marşan.^[1] Her father was an Abkhazian noble man and her mother was a princess from the princely family of Marşan-Abaza. She was the niece of Emine Nazikedâ Kadınefendi's mother, Princess Fatma Horecan Aredba. Her real name was Kadriye Mikanba. At a very young age she was given for service at the Yıldız Palace. However soon, during her service, the Sultan Abdul Hamid II took notice of Mezide Mestan, and they married on 2 February 1885 in the Yıldız Palace, the Sultan's residence at the time. She is said to have been very timid. She was tall, had dark coffee colored hairs and brown eyes.

A year after the marriage on 19 December 1886,^[2] she gave birth to her only son, Şehzade Mehmed Burhaneddin Efendi,^[3] who was Abdul Hamid's most favourite son.^[4] Hidayet Hanım, a sister of Princess Leyla Achba was a Lady-in-waiting to her. She had a mansion in the Yıldız Palace park. She died three months before the abdication of her husband on 21 January 1909 at Yıldız Palace, Istanbul and was buried at Yahya Efendi cemetery.^[5]

References