Name Esther Handali | Died 1590 | |
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Esther Handali (died 1590) was an Ottoman jeweller and secretary and intermediary of Hürrem Sultan (Roxelana). She was also the kira (economic agent) of Nurbanu Sultan.
Life
Handali originally acted as the intermediary of her spouse, Eliya Handali. His business was to provide jewellery, expensive clothing, and cosmetics to the harem of the Ottoman Empire in the sixteenth century. As a widow, she continued the business on her own.
The Ottoman harem women had no contact with the outside world, and dealt only with Jewish women as intermediaries in economic affairs; these Jewish women agents came to be known as kiras. Handali performed secretarial tasks for Roxelana. She also became the agent, secretary, and confidant of Nurbanu. It's said that they were lovers.
Ester Handali became very wealthy because of her position. Handali is reported to have been a great benefactor of orphans and widows. After the great fire of Istanbul in 1569, she provided help to those who lost their homes.