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Mara Branković

Mara Branković
Mara Branković, Esphigmenou charter (1429).jpg
Illustration from 1429
Born c. 1416
Vučitrn
Died 14 September 1487
Spouse Murad II
(4 September 1435 - 3 February 1451)
Full name
Mara Branković
House Branković
Father Đurađ Branković
Mother Eirene Kantakouzene
Religion Orthodox Christian
Full name
Mara Branković

Mara Branković (c. 1416 in Vučitrn – 14 September 1487), also known as Sultana Marija, Mara Hatun, Despina Hatun, or Amerissa, was the daughter of Serbian monarch Đurađ (George) Branković and Eirene Kantakouzene. She entered the harem of Sultan Murad II of the Ottoman Empire. The coast between Salonica and Kassandra peninsula has been named "Kalamarija" after her – "Mary the Good".

Mara and her relations are named in "Dell' Imperadori Constantinopolitani", a manuscript held in the Vatican Library. The document is also known as the "Massarelli manuscript" because it was found in the papers of Angelo Massarelli (1510–1566). Masarelli is better known as the general secretary of the Council of Trent, who recorded the daily occurrings of the council.

The Massarelli manuscript names her as one of two daughters of Đurađ Branković and Eirene Kantakouzene. The other sister was Catherine (Kanatakuzina Katarina Branković or Katarina of Celje), who was married to Ulrich II, Count of Celje (1406-1456). "The Byzantine Lady: Ten Portraits 1250–1500" (1994) by D. M. Nicol questioned her maternity, suggesting Đurađ had a prior marriage to a daughter of John IV of Trebizond. However his theory presented no sources and failed to take into account that John IV was born between 1395 and 1417. He would be unlikely to be a grandparent by the 1410s.

On 11 September 1429, Durad made a donation to Esphigmenou Monastery at Mount Athos. The charter for the document names his wife Irene and five children. The Masarelli manuscript also names the same five children of Đurađ and Eirene. Other genealogies mention a sixth child, Todor Branković. He could be a child who died young and thus not listed with his siblings.


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