| Dayfa Khatun | |
|---|---|
 The mihrab in Al-Firdaws Madrasa, built by Dayfa Khatun | |
| Regent of the Ayyubid Emirate of Aleppo | |
| Regency | 26 November 1236 – 1242 |
| Predecessor | Shihab ad-Din Toghril |
| Successor | Shams ad-Din Lu'lu' |
| Emir | An-Nasir Yusuf (grandson) |
| Died | 1242 |
| Spouse | , |
| Issue | Al-Aziz Muhammad |
| Dynasty | Ayyubid |
| Father | Al-Adil, Sultan of Egypt |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Dayfa Khatun (Arabic: ضيفة خاتون; 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.[1]
- ^ Ruggles, 2000, p.20.