• from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Gürcü Hatun (Georgian: გურჯი-ხათუნი) (fl. 1237-1286 C.E.) was a Georgian royal princess from Bagrationi dynasty and Queen consort of Sultanate of Rum being favorite wife of sultan Kaykhusraw II.[1] After his death in 1246 she married the Anatolian strongman Pervane. She was the mother of sultan Kayqubad II and patron to Rumi.

Her title Gürcü Hatun means "Georgian Lady".

She was born as Tamar (Georgian: თამარი) and had a biblical name popular in Kingdom of Georgia and was named after her grandmother Queen Tamar the Great.[2]

Gürcü Hatun was the daughter of Queen Rusudan of Georgia and the Seljuk prince Ghias ad-din, a grandson of Kilij Arslan II.

She was a sister of King David VI of Georgia.

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-u 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 Rumi in particular. She also sponsored the construction of the poet’s tomb in Konya.[3]

References

1. Cosmopolitanism and the Middle Ages, John M. Ganim, 51
2. ჯაველიძე ე., ქართული საბჭოთა ენციკლოპედია, ტ. 4, გვ. 579-580, თბ., 1979 წელი.
3. H. Crane "Notes on Saldjūq Architectural Patronage in Thirteenth Century Anatolia," Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, v. 36, n. 1 (1993), p. 18.

   ---

   
   

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. Gürcü Hatun was born Princess Tamar to Queen Rusudan of Georgia and Moghis ad-Din, son of the Seljuk sultan Tugrul II. Rusudan gave her daughter to Kaykhusraw in marriage to secure the peace with the Seljuks. Tamar initially remained a Christian but later embraced Islam. 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), would later become 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.

Her title Gürcü Hatun means "Georgian Lady" in Turkic languages.

She was born as Tamar (Georgian: თამარი) and had a biblical name popular in Kingdom of Georgia and was named after her grandmother Queen Tamar the Great.[2]

Gürcü Hatun was the daughter of Queen Rusudan of Georgia and the Seljuk prince Ghias ad-din, a grandson of Kilij Arslan II.

She was a sister of King David VI of Georgia.

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-u 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 Rumi in particular. She also sponsored the construction of the poet’s tomb in Konya.[3]

Gürcü Hatun was the daughter of Queen Rusudan of Georgia and the Seljuk prince Ghias ad-din, a grandson of Kilij Arslan II.

She was a sister of King David VI of Georgia.

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-u hurshid (Lion and Sun), later became widespread in the Islamic world (though its origins date back to much earlier times).

Gürcü Hatun was a Georgian royal princess from Bagrationi dynasty and Queen consort of Sultanate of Rum being favorite wife of sultan Kaykhusraw II. After his death in 1246 she married the Anatolian strongman Pervane