Person in the Tomb
Pertev Mehmet Paşa served as a vizier during the reigns of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent and Sultan Selim II.
He was educated in the Enderun (Imperial Palace School) and held positions such as Rikab-ı Hümayun Ağası (Equerry of the Imperial Stirrup), Kapıcıbaşı (Chief Gatekeeper), and Yeniçeri Ağası (Agha of the Janissaries).
He participated in the Nahçıvan campaign and was subsequently promoted to the rank of vizier.
He played a key role in the Siege of Szigetvár and was appointed serdar (commander-in-chief) during the Cyprus campaign to block the Venetian fleet.
He captured several Dalmatian coastal fortresses including Lesina, Antivavi, Sopoto, and Ülkan.
He took part in the Battle of Lepanto (İnebahtı) in 1571 and died in 1572.
About the Mausoleum
- Year Built
- Commissioned By
- Architect
- Location
Featured Highlights
The tomb has a rectangular plan and is currently roofless; it was originally covered with a gilded wooden ceiling, which collapsed between 1930 and 1935.
Evliya Çelebi described the tomb as a “luminous, ornate dome” and praised the ceiling as one of Mimar Sinan’s finest woodworks.
Constructed from cut stone, the tomb features a main entrance framed by marble jambs and alternating layers of marble and limestone, forming an oval arch.
A dedicatory inscription is located above the entrance. The front façade has six windows and the rear façade seven, all framed in limestone and fitted with classic iron grilles.
Instead of windows, the side walls contain arched storage niches; a small mihrab (prayer niche) is set into the qibla wall.
In addition to Pertev Mehmet Paşa, the tomb contains 14 other graves, including those of his wife Futuha Hanım, sons Mahmut, Mustafa, Mehmet, and Ahmet Efendi, and daughters Safiye and Hatice Hanım.
