Barbaros Hayreddin Paşa Tomb

Barbaros Hayreddin Paşa

Birth / Death: 1478 - 1546
Title: Grand Admiral
About: Barbaros Hayreddin Paşa, whose real name was Hızır Reis, is considered one of the greatest sailors in Ottoman history. The nickname "Barbarossa" was given to his older brother Oruç Reis by the Europeans because of his red beard, and was passed on to Hızır Reis over time. The title "Hayreddin" was given by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent to mean "goodness of the religion." He started seafaring at a young age and rose quickly among the pirates operating in North Africa. After the death of Oruç Reis, he became the Beylerbey of Algeria and entered Ottoman service in 1533, receiving the title Kaptan-ı Derya (Grand Admiral). In 1538, he defeated the Crusader fleet in the Battle of Preveza, definitively establishing the superiority of the Ottoman navy in the Mediterranean. This victory started the golden age of Ottoman seafaring. Barbaros Hayreddin Paşa, who died in Istanbul in 1546, was buried in the tomb named after him in Beşiktaş. His grave is still a symbol for Turkish sailors today.

Cezayirli Hasan Paşa

Title: Grand Admiral, Grand Vizier
Birth / Death: 1713 - 1790
About: Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Paşa was one of the most important commanders of the Ottoman navy, known for his courage, maritime knowledge and especially his loyalty. It is thought that he was originally of Georgian or Albanian origin. He was recruited at a young age and raised in Algeria. He distinguished himself with his services there and earned the nickname "Cezayirli (Algerian)". As a result of his successes during the Ottoman-Russian War of 1769-1774, he became the Grand Admiral and played a major role in reviving the Ottoman navy, especially after the Çeşme Disaster of 1773. Thanks to his merits in seafaring, he instilled discipline in the Ottoman navy and led the modernization efforts. He was appointed Grand Vizier in 1786, but did not remain in this post for long. He is also known for keeping lions; It is famous among the people that he had a pet lion wandering around his palace. He died in Istanbul in 1790 and was buried in the tomb named after him in Beşiktaş.

Frenk Cafer Paşa

Title: Grand Admiral
Birth / Death: Unknown - 1608
About: Originally of Italian origin, Frenk Cafer Paşa (or Cafer Ağa Paşa) entered Ottoman service after being captured by Turkish sailors, and after converting to Islam, he quickly rose in the navy. According to the Ottoman Sicil-i Osmani (Ottoman Registry), he was raised in the Ottoman system as one of Kılıç Ali Paşa's servants and held important administrative positions. Starting from the 1570s, he held positions such as Beylerbey of Cyprus and Sanjakbey of Famagusta, and also served as the guard of Tripoli for two terms. He was appointed as the Beylerbey of Cyprus a total of four times, becoming one of the administrators who left his mark on the island. He served as Grand Admiral twice, in 1603-1604 and 1606-1608, at the head of the Ottoman navy. During this period, he mobilized the Ottoman naval power especially against the attacks of the allies of Tuscany, Malta and Spain in the Mediterranean; He operated in points such as Preveza, Duraç and Navarino. However, the fleet withdrew before a major naval battle took place. Cafer Paşa, who was effective in both military and administrative fields during his term of office, is also remembered for his charitable works. The Ağa Cafer Paşa Mosque in Kyrenia and the fountain and bath in Famagusta are among the architectural works that have survived to the present day thanks to the foundations he established.

Construction Year: 1541-1542

Ordered by: Suleiman the Magnificent

Architect: Mimar Sinan

Prominent Features:

The tomb is an octagonal, cut stone structure in accordance with classical Ottoman architecture.
The inscription above the entrance indicates the year 948 (1541-42) along with the titles of Barbaros Hayreddin Paşa. On the upper arch, “O Allah, open for him the gates of Your mercy.” is written in jeli thuluth.
In front of the entrance, there is a mirror-vaulted portico made of marble, supported by two columns.
All facades are symmetrical and are enlivened with rectangular jambs at the bottom and colored glass and plaster honeycomb windows at the top.
Its dome sits on an octagonal drum and adds a spacious atmosphere to the interior.
In the middle of the dome, there is the 89th verse of the Surah al-A’raf along with the Basmala written in gold.
In the interior decorations, rumi, palmette and sunburst motifs and muqarnas corner pieces attract attention.
There are four coffins in the tomb: Barbaros Hayreddin Paşa, his wife Bala Hatun, Cafer Paşa and Cezayirli Hasan Paşa.
Additionally, there are two large candlesticks, a wooden Quran case, a Sakal-ı Şerif (Holy relic of a single beard believed to be of the Prophet Muhammad) case, a metal vase and a calligraphy plate by calligrapher Seyyid İbrahim dated 1816.
The tomb was built close to Hayreddin Paşa’s mansion on the Beşiktaş coast.
Barbaros’ relatives and various state officials were buried in the graveyard that formed over time around the tomb, but the graveyard was removed in 1944 because of the Barbaros Monument built here.

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Asude Hatun Tomb

Barbaros Hayreddin Paşa Tomb

Barbaros Hayreddin Paşa

Cezayirli Hasan Paşa

Frenk Cafer Paşa

Beşiktaş, İstanbul

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