Person

Theodora Megale Komnene

Also known as Theodora Komnene, Despina Khatun, Theodora of Trebizond

Despina Khatun was the name borne by Theodora Komnene, daughter of Emperor John IV of Trebizond, who married the Aq Qoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan around 1458 as part of an alliance against the Ottoman Empire. She kept her Orthodox Christian faith at his court, and her family ties helped link Uzun Hasan with Venice. Her daughter Halima was the mother of Ismail I, founder of the Safavid dynasty.

Theodora Megale Komnene
Image: Pisanello · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

Empire of TrebizondSummaryAq QoyunluSocioeconomy, Summary

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Theodora Megale Komnene. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/theodora-megale-komnene
MLA
“Theodora Megale Komnene.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/theodora-megale-komnene. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Theodora Megale Komnene.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/theodora-megale-komnene.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Theodora Megale Komnene’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/theodora-megale-komnene (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻