Mehisti Hanım

Mehisti Hanım (Ottoman Turkish: مہستی خانم; born Atiye Akalsba; c. 1890 – c. 1964) was the fourth wife of Abdulmejid II, the last Caliph of the Ottoman Caliphate.

In this Ottoman Turkish style name, the given name is Mehisti, the title is Hanım, and there is no family name.
Mehisti Hanım
"Beethoven in the Harem" by Abdulmejid II, 1915. Mehisti is thought to have been one of the two women listening with rapt attention.[1]
BornAtiye Akalsba
c. 1890
Adapazarı, Istanbul, Ottoman Empire
Diedc. 1964 (aged 73–74)
London, England, United Kingdom
Burial
Brookwood Cemetery, London
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1912; died 1944)​
IssueDürrüşehvar Sultan
Names
Turkish: Mehisti Hanım
Ottoman Turkish: مہستی خانم
HouseAkalsba (by birth)
Ottoman (by marriage)
FatherHacımaf Akalsba
MotherSafiye Hanım
ReligionSunni Islam

Early life

Mehisti Hanım was born in 1890[2] in Adapazarı, Istanbul.[3] Born as Atiye Akalsba, she was member of Abkhazian noble family, Akalsba. Her father was Hacımaf Efendi Akalsba and her mother was Safiye Hanım.[2] She had one brother, Fazıl Bey, and two sisters, Mihridil Hanım, and Mihrivefa Hanım.[4]

In 1895, at aged five, her father entrusted her to the Yıldız Palace's imperial harem.[2] Here her name according to the custom of the Ottoman court was changed to Mehisti.[2] She was then sent to the harem of Şehzade Abdulmejid.[2]

Marriage

Mehisti married Abdulmejid on 16 April 1912 in the Bağlarbaşı Palace.[3][2] Dürrüşehvar Sultan, the couple's only daughter was born in the Çamlıca Palace on 26 January 1914.[5][6][7]

At the exile of the imperial family in March 1924, she followed her husband and the other members of his entourage.[8] They moved firstly to Switzerland and then to France where they settled in Paris. During exile, her daughter, Dürrüşehvar married Prince Azam Jah, the eldest son and heir of the last Nizam of Hyderabad State, Osman Ali Khan, Asif Jah VII, at Nice, on 12 November 1931, and went to live in British India.[9]

After her marriage, Dürrüşehvar took Mehisti with her.[10] But, when the family traveled from India to Europe, and came to France, she and her daughter would stay with Abdulmejid.[11] Neslişah notes that before Dürrüşehvar's marriage Mehisti was allowed to eat in the second sitting, along with Abdulmejid's third wife Hayrünnisa Hanım, the secretaries Behruze and Ofelya and other Kalfas.[11] However, after her marriage, Mehisti's position changed, and she was allowed to eat at the first sitting.[11]

Abdulmejid was interested in classical music. At times, he would perform with his wives, and the kalfas. He would be at the piano, Şehsuvar Hanım and Hayrünnisa Hanım would play the violin, and Mehisti the cello.[12]

Death

After Abdulmejid's death in 1944, Mehisti settled in London.[13] She died in 1964, and was buried in Brookwood Cemetery. After Dürrüşehvar's death in 2006, she was buried beside her.[14]

Issue
NameBirthDeathNotes
Dürrüşehvar Sultan 26 January 1914 [5][7][15] 7 February 2006[5][15] married once, and had issue, two sons

See also

References
  1. Wendy M. K. Shaw (March 15, 2011). Ottoman Painting: Reflections of Western Art from the Ottoman Empire to the Turkish Republic. I.B.Tauris. p. 87. ISBN 978-1-848-85288-4.
  2. Uçan 2019, p. 258.
  3. Sakaoğlu 2008, p. 713.
  4. Uçan 2019, p. 149.
  5. Adra, Jamil (2005). Genealogy of the Imperial Ottoman Family 2005. pp. 38.
  6. Bardakçı 2017, p. 21.
  7. Uçan 2019, p. 267.
  8. Bardakçı 2017, p. 61.
  9. Bardakçı 2017, p. 123.
  10. Bardakçı 2017, p. 203.
  11. Bardakçı 2017, p. 113.
  12. Bardakçı 2017, p. 114.
  13. Osmanoğlu, Ayşe (2000). Babam Sultan Abdülhamid. Mona Kitap Yayinlari. pp. 252–253. ISBN 978-6-050-81202-2.
  14. Sakaoğlu 2008, pp. 713, 714.
  15. Bardakçı 2017, p. xiv.

Sources
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