Esma Sultan was born on 21 March 1873 in the Dolmabahçe Palace. Her father was Sultan Abdulaziz, and her mother was Gevheri Kadın, the daughter of Salih Svanba and Şaziye Tsamba. She was the youngest daughter of her father and the eldest child of her mother. She was the elder full sister of Şehzade Mehmed Seyfeddin. She was the granddaughter of Mahmud II and Pertevniyal Sultan. Her father, Abdulaziz was deposed by his ministers on 30 May 1876, his nephew Murad V became the Sultan. He was transferred to Feriye Palace the next day. Abdulaziz's entourage didn't wanted to leave the Dolmabahçe Palace. So they were grabbed by the hand and were sent out to the Feriye Palace. In the process, they were searched from head to toe and everything of value was taken from them. On 4 June 1876, Abdulaziz died under mysterious circumstances. Esma Sultan, who was three years old at that time, grew up under the supervision of her elder half brother, the crown prince Şehzade Yusuf Izzeddin. She was tall, had slanting eyebrows, big black eyes, long face, white-skin, and short hair.
Marriage
In 1889 Sultan Abdul Hamid II arranged her trousseaux and marriage together with her two sisters, princesses Saliha Sultan and Nazime Sultan, as well as his own daughter, Zekiye Sultan. On 20 April 1889 at the age of sixteen, she married Kabasakal Çerkes Mehmed Pasha in the Yıldız Palace. He was the widower of Sultan Abdulmejid I's daughter Naile Sultan. She moved in her palace known as "Esma Sultan Mansion", in which Mehmed Pasha and Naile Sultan previously lived. In 1890, a year after the marriage, she gave birth to twin sons, Sultanzade Hasan Bedreddin Bey and Sultanzade Hüseyin Hayreddin Bey. In 1894, she gave birth to Fatma Sıdıka Hanımsultan, who died young. A year later, on 14 June 1895, she gave birth to Sultanzade Mehmed Saadeddin Bey. Esma Sultan Mansion was used as a tobacco warehouse in the Republican era and later as a warehouse and carpenter workshop. It was purchased by Saffet Baştimar in 1952. It burned down on 1 March 1975 when it was put up for sale by its owners. Esma Sultan Palace is used for tourism purposes after the restoration made 10 years ago.
Death
Esma Sultan died during the birth of her last child, Sultanzade Abdullah Bey, her son also died the same day on 7 May 1899 and was buried in the mausoleum of imperial ladies at New Mosque, Eminönü, Istanbul. After her death, Sultan Abdul Hamid II decided to get Hatice Sultan the daughter of Sultan Murad V married to her husband, Mehmed Pasha, however the marriage didn't eventuated.
Issue
Together with Mehmed Pasha, Esma had four sons and one daughter:
