Server Dede Tomb
About the Person:
- Server Dede served during the reign of Sultan Mahmud I and earned a reputation as a diligent official responsible for the protection of state secrets and important documents within the Ottoman Empire. He was known for his extreme sense of duty, even holding state laws above the commands of the sultan. According to tradition, he refused to hand over documents at night in accordance with a law established by Mehmed the Conqueror. When Sultan Mahmud I ordered the delivery of documents at night and Server Dede refused, it resulted in his execution. After his death, he was remembered as a model of loyalty and professional ethics
About the Tomb:
Construction Year: 1748
Ordered by: Sultan Mahmud I
Architect: Unknown
Prominent Features
- Server Dede’s grave is located within the building of the Defter-i Hâkânî, one of the most important state offices of the time.
• His grave was preserved in its place as a reminder of responsibility and loyalty for future officials.
• The inscription on the gravestone reads: ‘Ser virüb sır vermeyen Server Dede’ (He gave his head but not the secret).
• The tomb is modest, enclosed by simple iron railings.
• It serves as a spiritual lesson and stands as one of the symbolic representations of the concept of ‘keeping secrets’ in the Ottoman state tradition.
