İbrahim Ethem Paşa Tomb

Born on the island of Chios, İbrahim Ethem Paşa was brought to Istanbul under the protection of Kapudan Pasha Hüsrev Paşa.
In 1830, he was sent to Paris. He graduated from the Barbet Institute in 1835 and the École des Mines in 1839.
Upon his return to Istanbul, he entered government service with the rank of colonel and was appointed to the Military Consultative Council.
He later served as director of the Sarıyer copper mine and the Gümüşhacıköy mine. In 1845, he became chief engineer of the Keban and Ergani mines.
He was promoted to brigadier general in 1849 and to aide-de-camp of the Imperial Court in 1851.
During his time at the palace, Sultan Abdülmecid received French lessons from him. He was appointed a member of the Encümen-i Dâniş (Assembly of Learned Men) and the Meclis-i Âlî-i Tanzîmat (Supreme Council of Tanzimat).
The most significant event during his term as Grand Vizier was the 1877–1878 Russo-Turkish War.
From 1879 to 1883, he served as ambassador to Vienna. On February 26, 1883, he was appointed Minister of the Interior.
Despite being dismissed from office multiple times due to his irascible nature, he is remembered as a loyal and honest statesman.

Construction Year: Late 19th century

Ordered by: His family

Architect: Unknown

Prominent Features:

The tomb is located in the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque Cemetery at İskele Square. To its right stands the tomb of either Ayşe Sultan or Kaya Sultan, behind it are the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque and its portico, and in front are the Mihrimah Sultan Madrasa and the now-lost Cemetery of the Kadis.
Above the marble-arched entrance door is the verse “Kullu nafsin dhā’iqat al-mawt” with the date 1310 AH (1892–93) inscribed in a single line.
In front of the door is a wooden-roofed portico supported by slender marble columns with stalactite capitals placed on thick square marble bases.
The tomb, built from ashlar stone, is covered with a blind dome resting on trompes.
The trompes and the center of the dome bear Kufic inscriptions of the names Muhammad, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. Due to neglect, these inscriptions are nearly worn away. The surrounding area and side walls are decorated with polychrome painted motifs.
The tomb has two side walls each featuring a small window and a large one facing the mosque. The large windows are made of marble, flanked by two relief columns on each side.