Maria Palaiologina

Maria Palaiologina
Khatun of Ilkhanate
Maria Palaiologina, depicted in a Byzantine mosaic in Chora Church, Istanbul
Tenure1265 – 1282
Noble familyPalaiologos
Spouse(s)Abaqa Khan
IssueTheodora Ara Qutlugh
FatherMichael VIII Palaiologos

Maria Palaiologina (Greek: Μαρία Παλαιολογίνα) was the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos (r. 1258–1282) who became the wife of the Mongol ruler Abaqa Khan, and an influential Christian leader among the Mongols. After Abaqa's death she became the leader of a monastery in Constantinople which was popularly named after her as Saint Mary of the Mongols. Her monastic name was Melanie (Medieval Greek: Μελάνη).


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