Güzelce Ali Paşa Tomb

Audio Narration:

Person in the Tomb:

Güzelce Ali Paşa

Location of the Tomb:

Beşiktaş, İstanbul

Title:

Grand Vizier, Kaptan-ı Derya (Grand Admiral), Beylerbeyi

Birth / Death:

1575 – 1621

About the Person:
  • Güzelce Ali Paşa was one of the important statesmen of the Ottoman Empire in the early 17th century. He was born in Kos and trained in seafaring and in the governorships, commanded the navy as Kaptan-ı Derya, and rose to the rank of Grand Vizier during the reign of Osman II.
  • He was nicknamed “Güzelce” because of his beautiful face. He took strong financial measures to provide income to the state and created new sources of income.
  • He planned the Polish expedition, but died of gall bladder disease in 1621 before he could participate.
About the Tomb:

Construction Year: 1620-1621

Ordered by: Ali Paşa

Architect: Unknown

Prominent Features:

  • It is a square planned, masonry building covered with a dome.
  • Its walls are lined with stone and brick; one side overlooks the sea.
  • There are two-story windows on one side, while the other facades are connected to adjacent buildings.
  • There are a total of six marble sarcophagi in the interior: Güzelce Ali Paşa, his son Mehmet Bey’s son Hüseyin Bey, İbrahim Bey, the son of Genç Mehmet Paşa, the son of Damat İbrahim Paşa, and three family members whose identities are not known for sure.
  • The coffins are decorated with motifs such as daggers, curved branches, vases and flowers, and bear symbols of heaven and hell.