Mara Branković

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Mara Branković (1412-1487) (also known as Mara Hatun, Despina Hatun, or Amerissa) was the daughter of Serbian monarch Đurađ Branković. She married Sultan Murad II of the Ottoman Empire.

She had no children of her own, but was close to her husband's son, Mehmed II. When Mehmed became sultan, she often provided him with advice. When Murad died, she returned to Serbia, and later held court at Ježevo in present-day Republic of Macedonia, surrounded by exiled Serbian nobles.

In 1451, she was joined by her sister, Catherine, widow of Ulrich II of Celje, and together they led an unofficial "foreign office" from Macedonia. In the war between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice (1463-1479), they played an important role as intermediaries and were employed by both sides as diplomatic agents.

In 1471, Branković personally accompanied a Venetian ambassador to the Porte for negotiations with the Sultan. She retained her influence over the appointment of leaders of the Orthodox Church, and remained influential during the reighn of Mehmed's successor, Bayezid II. Because of her influence, special privileges were offered to the Greek Orthodox Christians of Jerusalem, later extended to the community of Athos Monastery. After the unsuccessful Battle of Vaslui (Moldavia, 1475), Mara remarked that the battle was the worst defeat for the Ottoman Empire.