Person in the Tomb
Nazlı Mahmut Efendi was an important statesman who was the head of the Ottoman treasury twice during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent.
He served as treasurer for a total of 12 years between 1537 and 1549, and was reappointed to this position shortly before his death.
He was also an important name in classical Ottoman calligraphy as a student of Sheikh Hamdullah, one of the leading calligraphers of the period. His identity as a calligrapher is also symbolized by the inkwell motif on the finial of the mosque's minaret.
About the Mausoleum
- Year Built
- Commissioned By
- Architect
- Location
Featured Highlights
The tomb is an open-type building with a square plan located in the mosque’s graveyard.
The building rises on four marble columns and is surrounded by four segmented arches.
Above the arches is a dome sitting on an octagonal drum.
Between the columns, there are 80 cm high marble railings decorated with reliefs with grid motifs.
The entrance to the tomb is highlighted with a richly decorated marble portal; above the portal is the inscription
“Lâ ilâhe illallahü’l-melikü’l-hakku’l-mübîn Muhammedün resûlullah sâdıku’l-va’di’l-emîn
“.*
Inside is the coffin of Defterdar Mahmut Efendi; the headstone has been damaged, only the footstone remains.
Among the open tombs in Istanbul, it is one of the most elegant examples built in the 16th century.
*“There is no god but Allah, the Openly True King, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, the Holder of the True Promise.”
