Mahmud Nedim Paşa Tomb

Mahmud Nedim Paşa was born in Istanbul. His father was Gürcü Mehmed Necib Paşa, the Governor of Baghdad.
He began his career in 1831 in the Imperial Council Chancery. Gaining the attention of Mustafa Reşid Paşa, he quickly advanced. In 1847, he became the chief clerk of the Grand Vizierate, later serving as undersecretary of foreign affairs and holding various governorships.
After the death of Âlî Paşa, he was appointed Grand Vizier by Sultan Abdülaziz. Known for dismissing Tanzimat supporters, he implemented centralist and frugal reforms. However, his pro-Russian policies provoked criticism within the state and public. He was dismissed on July 31, 1872, and became known as “Moskof Nedim” (Nedim the Muscovite).
In 1875, he resumed his position as Grand Vizier. To resolve the financial crisis, he initiated a partial debt moratorium, which caused backlash. Events such as the Herzegovina uprising, Bulgarian revolt, and the Salonika Incident worsened the situation. He was dismissed again on May 11, 1876.
After exile and various governorships, he became Minister of the Interior in 1879. He retired and passed away in 1883.
Known for his intelligence and poetry, he was also described as opportunistic, corrupt, and conspiratorial. He opposed the Tanzimat reforms and expressed his administrative views in works such as “Âyîne-i Devlet” and “Hasbihal”.

Construction Year: 1883

Ordered by: His family

Architect: Unknown

Prominent Features:

The tomb is a simple, square-planned structure. Three of its facades are identical, each featuring a large window flanked by shallow niches.
The corners of the facades are adorned with pilasters topped with composite capitals.
The entrance facade is made of limestone and displays precise and modest craftsmanship.
On the southeastern facade, the drum of the dome features verses from the Qur’an: Al-i Imran, Al-Anbiya, and Al-Fajr.
An inscription on the semicircular window arch reads: “Necib Paşa-zade Sadr-ı Esbak Mahmud Nedim Paşa merhumun ruhiçün Li’ilahi l-Fatiha. Sene 1300 fi Recep” (“For the soul of the late Mahmud Nedim Paşa, son of Necib Paşa, former Grand Vizier. For the sake of Allah, recite al-Fatiha. Year 1300, in the month of Rajab”).
The tomb contains two wooden sarcophagi: one belongs to Mahmud Nedim Paşa, the other to an unidentified individual.