Handan Sultan
| Handan Sultan خندان سلطان |
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The türbe of Handan is located next to that of Mehmed III in the courtyard of Hagia Sophia
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| Valide Sultan of the Ottoman Empire | |
| Tenure | 22 December 1603 – 9 November 1605 |
| Predecessor | Safiye Sultan |
| Successor | Halime Sultan |
| Born | Helen or Helena c. 1574 Sanjak of Bosnia, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | 9 November 1605 (aged 30–31) Topkapı Palace, Istanbul, Ottoman Empire |
| Burial | Mehmed III Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia Mosque, Istanbul |
| Spouse | Mehmed III |
| Issue |
Ahmed I Şehzade Selim Şehzade Süleyman Two daughters |
| Religion | Sunni Islam , previously Orthodox Christian |
Handan Sultan (Ottoman Turkish: خندان سلطان; c. 1574 – 9 November 1605) was the consort of Sultan Mehmed III, and Valide Sultan to their son Sultan Ahmed I.
Of Bosnian origin, Handan Sultan was a servant in the household of Cerrah Mehmed Pasha, the governor-general (beylerbeyi) of Rumelia Eyalet. He was the husband of Gevherhan Sultan, the daughter of Sultan Selim II, sister of Sultan Murad III, and aunt of Sultan Mehmed III. Mehmed Pasha was formerly a surgeon ("cerrah") and had circumcised Prince Mehmed in 1582. In 1583, when Mehmed was appointed the sancak-bey of Saruhan, Handan being beautiful was presented to him at his departure by Mehmed Pasha and Gevherhan Sultan. When Mehmed ascended the throne after his father's death in 1595, Handan came to Istanbul with him.
When Ahmed ascended the throne following Mehmed III's death on 22 December 1603, Handan became Valide Sultan. As the mother of the new Sultan, she received 1,000 aspers a day. On Friday January 9, the former Valide Sultan Safiye Sultan, along with Şehzade Mustafa (future Mustafa I), were sent to live in the Eski (old) Palace located at the Beyazıt Square. Soon after his succession, Ahmed wanted to express his gratitude to Mehmed Pasha and Gevherhan Sultan for the role they had played in bringing his parents together. By then, however, Cerrah Mehmed Pasha was old and ailing, and died on January 9, 1604. Ahmed, therefore, honored the late pasha's wife. He also named one of his daughters after her.
As a co-regent, she immediately began building up her network of clients, and was actively involved in the running of dynastic and imperial affairs together with Ahmed's tutor Mustafa Efendi. Ahmed several times announced his eagerness to go to war. It seems that Handan Sultan and Mustafa Efendi advised him to behave in this manner in order to give the public the impression that he was capable of ruling the state. He also began to spend a great deal of time outside the palace, notably hunting or conducting incognito inspections, regardless of the weather. Handan Sultan quickly realized that her son could easily put himself in danger and thus needed to be closely watched.
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