Şemsi Ahmet Paşa Tomb
About the Person:
Şemsi Ahmet Pasha was a prominent Ottoman statesman who served as a vizier during the reigns of Sultan Selim II and Sultan Murad III. He was the grandson of Kızıl Ahmet Bey, the Kastamonu ruler of the İsfendiyaroğlu line, and the son of Mirza Pasha.
Educated in the palace school (Enderun), he held the posts of Avcıbaşı (Master of the Hunt), Bölük Ağa (Commander of a Division), Müteferrika (Chamberlain), Sipahiler Ağa (Commander of the Sipahi Cavalry), and governor-general (Beylerbeyi) of both Anatolia and Rumelia. Elevated to the vizierate under Sultan Selim II, he died in 1580 and was laid to rest in the tomb within his own religious-social complex (külliye).
About the Tomb:
Construction Year: 1580
Ordered by: Şemsi Ahmet Paşa
Architect: Mimar Sinan
Prominent Features:
- The tomb is built adjacent to the eastern side of the mosque.
- It has an almost square plan. It is covered with a mirror vault. Constructed from cut stone with brick vaults.
- Illuminated by windows; the lower ones are rectangular, the upper ones are arched.
- The tomb opens to the mosque through a large arched bronze-grilled window. Only Şemsi Ahmet Paşa’s sarcophagus is inside.
- The original painted decorations are damaged; geometric and palmette traces remain on the mirror vault.
- Restored faithfully in 1940 by the General Directorate of Foundations.
- Famous for its seaside location; also known as ‘Kuşkonmaz Mosque Tomb’ due to the waves.
