Mahmud Kerim Bey

Mahmud Kerim Bey, whose date of birth is unknown, was the son of Müşir Ahmed Eyüb Paşa, one of the commanders of the War of 1877-1878. On his inscription, his father Ahmed Eyüb Paşa is described as a “famous commander who distinguished himself through prudence, intelligence, courage and bravery.”

Müşir Ahmed Eyüb Paşa was one of the important commanders on the Danube front in the Ottoman-Russian War of 1877-1878 and was at the head of the Eastern Danube Army. Later serving in various governorships and military posts, Ahmed Eyüb Paşa was one of the notable military figures of Sultan Abdülhamid II’s reign.

Mahmud Kerim Bey, like his father, belonged to the military class connected with the palace circle. His inscription describes him as a lieutenant among the “Yâverân-ı Şehriyârî,” indicating that he was a young officer among the sultan’s aides-de-camp.

One striking feature of Mahmud Kerim Bey’s grave inscription is that most of the text is devoted to the military fame of his father Ahmed Eyüb Paşa. Writings introducing the Fatih Cemetery have also emphasized this point, noting that although the grave belongs to Mahmud Kerim Bey, the inscription presents him through the memory of his father.

Mahmud Kerim Bey died on 15 Sha‘ban 1312 (1895) and was buried in the Fatih Mosque Cemetery. His father Ahmed Eyüb Paşa’s grave is in the cemetery of the Sultan Mahmud II Tomb at Çemberlitaş.