Person in the Tomb
Davut Paşa was an Ottoman statesman of Albanian origin who was educated in Enderun. During the reign of Mehmed the Conqueror, he served as the governor of Çirmen and Ankara, the governor of Anatolia and Rumelia, the vizier, and the Grand Vizier between 1483 and 1497. He was known as the "Koca" and "Dervish" and was known for his military successes as well as his interest in science and the poor.
He participated in the 1478 Scutari Campaign, the 1492 Albanian campaign and the Danube campaigns; he added Adana and Tarsus to Ottoman lands. He was dismissed from duty in 1497 and exiled to Dimetoka, where he died in 1498. His body was transferred to the tomb of the social complex he had built.
About the Mausoleum
- Year Built
- Commissioned By
- Architect
- Location
Featured Highlights
Davut Paşa Tomb is a part of the social complex that bears his name and was built in 1485. The structure has an octagonal plan, cut stone material and a dome. There is a four-columned, single-domed portico at the entrance. The dome is placed on an octagonal drum.
There are two windows on each facade, one above the other; the lower windows have Bursa arches and the upper ones have pointed arches. The interior is plainly whitewashed; only traces of hand-drawn decoration can be seen on the dome nave and the window pediments.
On the inscription above the door arch, there is a two-verse Arabic inscription written by Sheikh al-Islam İbn Kemal. He prays for mercy for the Paşa. The year of his death is also written as AH 905 (1499-1500) under the inscription, but it is thought that this date was written by mistake; the actual date of his death is AH 903 (1498).
Only Davut Paşa’s sarcophagus is in the tomb.
