Esma Sultan

Who was Esma Sultan?

Esma Sultan was the daughter of Ottoman Sultan Abdülaziz by Neşerek Haseki Kadın Efendi.

Esma Sultan was born on March 21, 1873 in Dolmabahçe Palace in Constantinople to Sultan Abdülaziz's fifth wife Haseki Nesrin Kadınefendi as the second child. She had an older brother, Shehzade Mehmed Şevket Efendi. She was soon followed by another sibling, Emine Sultan.

Following her father Sultan Abdülaziz's deposition on May 30, 1876 and death a few days later, she was taken into the harem of Sultan Abdülhamid II at the age of three.

She was married on April 20, 1889 at the age of 16 to Damad Çerkes Mehmed Pasha in Yıldız Palace. Her husband was a general in the Ottoman Army and first aide-de-camp to Abdülhamid II. From this marriage came four sons and one daughter:

Sultanzade Hasan Bedreddin Bey Efendi

Sultanzade Hüseyin Hayreddin Bey Efendi

Fatma Sıdıka Hanım Sultan

Sultanzade Saadeddin Mehmed Bey Efendi,

Sultanzade Abdullah Bey Efendi

Esma Sultan died on May 7, 1899 and was interred in Murad V Mausoleum at Yeni Cami in Eminönü, Constantinople.