Dayfa Khatun (; died 1242) was a Kurdish Ayyubid princess, and the regent of Aleppo from 26 November 1236 to 1242, during the minority of her grandson An-Nasir Yusuf. She was an Ayyubid princess, as the daughter of Al-Adil, Sultan of Egypt. She married her first cousin, Az-Zahir Ghazi, Emir of Aleppo, which marked the end of the rivalry between the two branches of the family.
During her minor grandson's reign, Khatun achieved an unprecedented measure of autonomous political influence. She acted as regent during the minority of her grandson, which was a highly unusual position for a woman in an Islamic dynasty, and played a major role in architectural patronage in Aleppo, being responsible for the construction of the Firdaws Madrasa.
Marriage
Khatun was born to a Kurdish Muslim family. She was married to Saladin's son Az-Zahir Ghazi in 1212. Ghazi requested her hand in marriage to end the conflict between him and al-Adil. When she arrived in Aleppo, she was greeted by a great ceremony and received by Ghazi, his emirs, and local notables. Ibn Wasil wrote, "When she entered al-Malik az-Zahir [Az-Zahir Ghazi], he arose and took several steps towards her and showed her great respect." Her marriage was instrumental in the unification and maintenance of the Ayyubid empire."
This marriage also allowed Khatun's status to be elevated as a female member of the Ayyubid court, while also enjoying the protection provided by her and her husband’s prestigious families.
Khatun's status as an important lady of the court solidified when she gave birth to a son and future heir to the throne of Aleppo, al-Aziz Muhammad. The birth of her son was significant because it acted as the ultimate seal of status for Khatun as mother of a sultan. When her husband died in 1216, Aleppo was passed on to al-Aziz Muhammad and his atabek, Shihab al-Din Toghril, who ruled until his son was of age in 1231. Ghazi’s son only ruled for 4 years until 1235, when both he and Toghril died, leaving Khatun to become the first woman to govern an Islamic dynasty.
Not much about her is recorded for the remainder of Ghazi's rule which ended when he died in 1216 or Muhammad's reign which ended when he died in 1236. Khatun is famous for building the Khanqah al-Farafira, the monastic centre of sufism in the city of Aleppo.
Arrival in Aleppo
It was not unusual for Ayyubid (and their precedents, Zangid) princesses to have public influence. The noblewomen of this dynasty “commanded a status rarely accorded to court women before them.” Ayyubid princesses often went on processions to Friday prayer, accompanied by servants, and completely obscured from commoners. This was meant to display the righteousness and piety of the women of the court. In 1232 (629), the sultan of Egypt al-Malik went to claim the Anatolian fort of Amida (Diyarbakr). Fatima Khatun, wife of Dayfa Khatun’s son Muhammad accompanied the sultan. Fatima was received by Aleppan dignitaries, one of which was Dayfa Khatun whose warm ceremonious welcome also displayed her gentleness and piety.
Regency
With the death of her son, Khatun came to play a prominent role. Her grandson An-Nasir Yusuf was only seven years old, so a council of regency was formed, consisting of Shams ad-Din Lu'lu' al-Amini, Izz ad-Din Umar al-Majalli, the vizier Jamal ad-Din al-Qifti and her own slave Jamal ad-Dawla Iqbal az-Zahiri. The latter acted as her secretary and deputy to the regency council.
Khatun had the position of regent, which was very unusual in an Islamic dynasty. All decisions of the regency council had to be approved by her, and her signature was affixed to all documents it issued. This was explicitly stated by Ibn Wasil, who recorded that "she had the final say on all state affairs, and she put her alama [insignia] on all documents and correspondance".
During her regency Aleppo was threatened from many directions by powerful neighbours, but contemporary writer all attest to her diplomatic skills in keeping Aleppo free from conflict. After her death, Aleppo's diplomatic position was never as strong vis a vis its neighbours as it was under her rule.