Mehisti Kadınefendi

Mehisti Kadınefendi (27 January 1892 - c. 1964) was the third wife of Abdülmecid II, the last Caliph of the Muslim world. She was the mother of Hatice Hayriye Ayşe Dürrüşehvar Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

Biography

Mehisti Kadınefendi was born as the daughter of Hacımaf Bey Akalsba and his wife Safiye Hanım. Her family came to Istanbul from Abkhazia and settled in Adapazarı. She was given in service to the palace at a very young age along with her sisters, Mihr-i Dil Hanım and Mihr-i Vefa Hanım and younger brother, Fevzi Bey, who was deeply loved by Abdülmecid. She was tall and had light brown hair and blue eyes.

During her service in the palace she was noticed by Abdülmecid, and they married on 16 April 1912 in the Çamlica Palace. Two years after her marriage she gave birth to her and Abdülmecid's only daughter Hatice Hayriye Ayşe Dürrüşehvar Sultan. In 1924 she went into an exile along with other members of the family.

Her daughter, Dürrüşehvar Sultan was married to Prince Azam Jah, the eldest son and heir of the last Nizam of Hyderabad State, Osman Ali Khan, Asif Jah VII, in Nice, on 12 November 1931. Dürrüşehvar Sultan's first cousin Princess Niloufer, was married to Prince Moazzam Jah, the second son of the Nizam. Her daughter settled in India and she herself settled in London. Dürrüşehvar Sultan came to London in 1948.

While residing in London, Mehisti suffered a stroke, and died in 1964. She was buried in Brookwood Cemetery. In 2006 her daughter also died in London and was buried along with her.

See also

• Ottoman Empire
• Ottoman dynasty

References