Aynü’l-Hayat Tomb

Audio Narration:

Person in the Tomb:

Aynü'l-Hayat Hanım

Location of the Tomb:

Fatih, İstanbul

Title:

Wife of Mustafa III

Birth / Death:

Unknown – 18. yüzyıl

About the Person:
  • Aynu’l Hayat Hanım was the wife of the Sultan Mustafa III. She is one of the important dynastic women in the history of the Ottoman palace. Also buried in her tomb is the head woman of Sultan Selim III, Şefizar Hanım (d. 1791).
About the Tomb:

Construction Year: 1760–1764

Ordered by: Mustafa III

Architect: Hacı Ahmet Ağa

Prominent Features:

  • The tomb was built in a square plan, adjacent to the tomb of Mustafa III.
  • It is an example of 18th century Ottoman Baroque architecture.
  • The dome transition is provided by pendentives.
  • The entrance facade has three sections separated by four columns; there is a door in the middle and windows on the sides.
  • The facade is made of marble up to the column capitals, the upper parts are made of brick.
  • There are two coffins in the tomb: belonging to Aynu’l Hayat Hanım and Şefizar Hanım.
  • The inscription of the tomb has not survived to the present day.