Person in the Tomb
Nakşidil Valide Sultan was of Caucasian origin and brought to the Ottoman palace at a young age. She became a consort of Sultan Abdülhamid I and was the mother of Sultan Mahmud II. Her original name is unknown; she was known in the palace by the name Nakşidil.
Upon her son Mahmud II’s accession to the throne in 1808, she assumed the title Valide Sultan.
She was known for her piety, charity, and gentle character. She commissioned various charitable works, including the Nakşidil Valide Sultan Tomb and other endowments in the Laleli district of Istanbul.
She placed great importance on philanthropy and social aid through the establishment of mosques, fountains, and waqfs during her lifetime.
Nakşidil Valide Sultan passed away in 1817 and was buried with great ceremony by her son Sultan Mahmud II. She played a notable maternal role in shaping his education and upbringing within the palace.
About the Mausoleum
- Year Built
- Commissioned By
- Architect
- Location
Featured Highlights
Designed in the Baroque style with a hexadecagonal (16-sided) plan. The façade is clad in marble and enlivened with composite-headed engaged columns and upper-floor pilasters.
The exterior is richly adorned with acanthus leaves and ribbon motifs. Lower-level windows are arched, while upper-level windows are oval. The high-drum dome is flanked by pilasters and crowned with miniature rooftop turrets.
On the eastern façade, a three-bay domed portico with Ionic marble columns forms the entrance. The outer walls are decorated with relief carvings.
Above the tomb’s entrance door is an inscription in celi sülüs script by the calligrapher Mustafa Rakım, quoting verse 53 from Surah al-Zumar. The inner door features verse 133 from Surah Al-i Imran. A frieze bearing verses from Surah al-Insan runs around the dome drum. The interior is decorated with 19th-century painted ornamentation.
Nakşidil Valide Sultan’s sarcophagus is enclosed with mother-of-pearl inlaid wooden latticework. In front of it stands an Istanbul-style funeral frame featuring a sun motif.
In addition to Nakşidil Valide Sultan, the tomb houses 14 other sarcophagi, including those of:
Cevri Kalfa, who saved Mahmud II, Mihrimah Sultan (her daughter), Princesses Münire Sultan and Fatma Sultan, Princes Abdülhamid and Nizameddin, Her consort Zeyni Felek Hanım, Her wife Zernigar Kadın, Princess Hayriye Sultan and Misli Nayab Kadın, Kamerfer Kadın, and Ebufettan Hanım.
