Gürcü Hatun (Georgian: გურჯი-ხათუნი) (fl. 1237-1286?) was a Georgian princess and favorite wife of Kaykhusraw II, Seljuk Sultan of Rum. After his death in 1246 she married the Anatolian strongman Pervane Mu‘in al-Din Suleyman. She was the mother of Kayqubad II and patron to Rumi. Her title Gürcü Hatun means "Georgian Lady"; her baptismal name was Tamar, a biblical name popular in Georgia.
Gürcü Hatun was born Princess Tamar (Tamara) to Queen Rusudan of Georgia and Moghis ad-Din, son of the Seljuk sultan Tugrul II, whom Rusudan was forced to marry to secure peace and end constant invasions of Georgia by Seljuks.
Like most Georgians, Tamar initially remained an Eastern Orthodox Christian but is known to have converted to Islam at a later point, with no further information on how the conversion came about. It is said that the sun on the Seljuk coins of that time symbolizes Tamar, while the lion stands for the sultan himself. This emblem, known as shir-i hurshid (Lion and Sun), later became widespread in the Islamic world (though its origins date back to much earlier times). After the death of Kaykhusraw in 1246, the government of the sultanate was seized by the Pervane Mu‘in al-Din Suleyman who married Gürcü Hatun.
She is known to have patronized science and art, and to have been on friendly terms with the famous Sufi poet Jalal ad-Din Rumi in particular. She also sponsored the construction of the poet’s tomb in Konya.[1]