Sultan II. Mahmud Tomb

Mahmud II

Birth/Death: 1785-1839
Title: 30th Ottoman Sultan
About: Known as the 'Reformist Sultan', Mahmud II ascended the throne with the support of Alemdar Mustafa Pasha and initiated deep-rooted reforms in the state. In 1826, through the 'Auspicious Incident', he abolished the Janissary Corps and the Bektashi Order, establishing the modern army named Asakir-i Mansure-i Muhammediye. He implemented reforms in postal services, quarantine, population census, provincial councils, the official gazette (Takvim-i Vekayi), and introduced a new fez-wearing dress code. Despite territorial losses like the recognition of Greek independence in 1830 and the 1828–29 Russo-Turkish War, he centralized authority, reformed the timar system, and revitalized public architecture and education under Western influences. He died of tuberculosis and was buried in the tomb he had built for himself on Divanyolu Street.

Sultan Abdülaziz

Birth/Death: 1830-1876
Title: 32th Ottoman Sultan
About: Sultan Abdülaziz, son of Mahmud II, expanded the navy into one of the world's largest, developed railways, and opened modern schools such as Darüşşafaka and Mekteb-i Mülkiye. He became the first Ottoman sultan to visit Europe in 1867, and reformed administrative organization with the 1867 provincial regulations. Extravagant modernization and fleet costs led to a growing foreign debt. A military-civilian coup on May 30, 1876, deposed him. He was found dead with his wrists slit four days later—officially a suicide, though suspicions of assassination persist. He is remembered as both a daring reformer and a symbol of fiscal distress.

Abdülhamid II

Birth/Death: 1842-1918
Title: 34th Ottoman Sultan
About: Sultan Abdülhamid II declared the Kanûn-i Esâsî (Constitution) upon his accession, launching the First Constitutional Era. After suspending the parliament following the 1877–78 Russo-Turkish War, he established an autocratic rule. He pursued Pan-Islamist policies, launched projects like the Hejaz Railway, Hamidiye Regiments, modern agricultural schools, and public institutions. Despite facing nationalistic uprisings and foreign debt pressure, he sought to modernize the empire. Deposed by the Young Turk Revolution in 1909, he died in 1918 and was buried beside his father Mahmud II. His legacy remains controversial—revered as the 'Great Khan' or vilified as the 'Red Sultan'.

Construction Year: 1840

Ordered by: Sultan Abdulmecid

Architect: Ohannes and Bogos Dadyan brothers, Engineer Abdulhalim Efendi or Garabet Balyan

Prominent Features:

Built in 1840 by Sultan Abdülmecid, the tomb is located in Fatih, İstanbul. Its construction was overseen by Ohannes and Bogos Dadyan, with contributions from Engineer Abdülhalim Efendi or Garabet Balyan.
The tomb was designed in the Empire style and clad in white marble. It has an octagonal plan and a raised entrance platform.
The dome features garland and floral reliefs; a marble inscription inside was written by calligrapher Mehmet Haşim.
A crystal chandelier gifted by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom hangs from the dome. Gold-gilded wall clocks near the entrance were gifts from Emperor Napoleon III of France.
Planned as a complex, the tomb includes a fountain, guard rooms, former School of Judicial Education (Mekteb-i Maarif-i Adliye), and a library.
Its courtyard became a cemetery in 1861, now famous for its fine Ottoman gravestones, housing graves of 19th-century statesmen, poets, and scholars.

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Sultan I. Mustafa and Sultan İbrahim Tomb

Sultan II. Mahmud Tomb

Mahmud II

Sultan Abdülaziz

Abdülhamid II

Fatih, İstanbul

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