Melike Mama Hatun, or simply Mama Hatun, was a female ruler of the

Saltukids The Saltukids or Saltuqids (Modern Turkish: ''Saltuklu Beyliği'' ) were a dynasty ruling one of the Anatolian beyliks founded after the Battle of Manzikert (1071) and centered on Erzurum. The Saltukids ruled between 1071 and 1202. The beylik was ...

, with its capital in

Erzurum Erzurum (; ) is a city in eastern Anatolia, Turkey. It is the largest city and capital of Erzurum Province and is 1,900 meters (6,233 feet) above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 367,250 in 2010. The city uses the double-headed eagle as ...

, for an estimated nine years between 1191 and 1200. During her reign she had a

caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering ...

, a

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

, a bridge, and a

hammam A hammam ( ar, حمّام, translit=ḥammām, tr, hamam) or Turkish bath is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the culture of the Muslim world and was inherited f ...

built in the town of

Tercan Tercan (formerly Mama Hatun, and Derzene; in the Byzantine era; ku, Têrcan) is a town and district of Erzincan Province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. The district covers an area of and its total population is 20,072 of which 6,646 l ...

, located midway between

Erzincan Erzincan (; ku, Erzîngan), historically Yerznka ( hy, Երզնկա), is the capital of Erzincan Province in Eastern Turkey. Nearby cities include Erzurum, Sivas, Tunceli, Bingöl, Elazığ, Malatya, Gümüşhane, Bayburt, and Giresun. The ...

and Erzurum, which are still standing and are named after her. Her tomb - build by masters from

Ahlat Ahlat ( ku, Xelat, ) is a town and district in Turkey's Bitlis Province in Eastern Anatolia Region. From 1929 to 1936, it was a district of Van Province. The town of Ahlat is situated on the northwestern shore of Lake Van. The mayor is Abdulalim M ...

- is also in Tercan.O. Pancaroğlu, The House of Mengüjek in Divriği: Constructions of Dynastic Identity in the Late Twelfth Century, in A. Peacock - S. Nur Yildiz (edd.), ''The Seljuks of Anatolia: Court and Society in the Medieval Middle East'', London - New York, 2013, p
57
D. Darke, ''Eastern Turkey'', Chalfont St. Peter - Guilford, 2014², p
137
The town itself was called Mamahatun until recently, and is still referred to as such locally. During her reign she built

s, a

medrese Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...

, several mekteps,

shadirvan A shadirvan ( fa, شادروان, tr, şadırvan, ar, شاذروان) is a type of fountain that is usually built in the courtyard or near the entrance of mosques, caravanserais, khanqahs, and madrasas, with the main purpose of providing wa ...

s, and other types of

Islamic architecture Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Islamic world encompasses a wide geographic ar ...

. She also built many

s throughout her rule. Mama Hatun also remains a vivacious figure in

Turkish folk literature Turkish folk literature is an oral tradition deeply rooted, in its form, in Central Asian nomadic traditions. However, in its themes, Turkish folk literature reflects the problems peculiar to a settling (or settled) people who have abandoned the ...

to this day.

References

Sources

* Sevim, Ali: ''Türk Tarihi – Fetih, Selçuklu ve Beylikler Dönemi'',

Türk Tarih Kurumu The Turkish Historical Society ( tr, Türk Tarih Kurumu, TTK) is a research society studying the history of Turkey and the History of the Turkish people, Turkish people, founded in 1931 by the initiative of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, with headquarters ...

1989; p207/208
Dursun Ali Şeker, art. MAMA HATUN (ö. 597/1201'den sonra) Saltuklu melikesi (1191 - 1200), in ''İslâm Ansiklopedisine'' 27 (2003), p. 548.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mama Hatun Seljuk dynasty History of Erzincan History of Erzurum 12th-century women rulers Turkic female royalty 12th-century Turkic women Turkic rulers

See also

References

Sources