Siyavuş Paşa Tomb
About the Person:
- Of Croatian origin, Siyavuş Pasha was a prominent statesman who served three separate terms as grand vizier in the Ottoman Empire.
- By marrying Fatma Sultan, daughter of Sultan Selim II, he secured a powerful position within the court.
- Educated in the Enderun Palace School, he held posts such as Agha of the Janissaries and Beylerbey (governor-general) of Rumelia, and as grand vizier he took part in many pivotal decisions of Ottoman administration.
- He sponsored numerous charitable works—mosques, pavilions, fountains, and madrasas—in Istanbul and across various regions of the empire.
About the Tomb:
Construction Year: 1582-1584
Ordered by: Siyavuş Paşa
Architect: Mimar Sinan
Prominent Features:
- The tomb is sixteen-sided on the exterior and octagonal on the interior.
- Built of finely cut ashlar, it is richly embellished with tiles, painted ornament (kalem işi), and woodcarving.
- The mausoleum has a vaulted, porticoed entrance; the four-column, domed porch is distinguished by capitals intricately carved with muqarnas.
- Inside, a tile frieze inscribed with the Ayat al-Kursi encircles the walls.
- The tile panels flanking the doorway, the window lunettes, the dome’s interior painting, and the tile medallions on the pendentives are among the era’s finest examples.
- Within stand one large wooden coffin belonging to Siyavuş Pasha and ten smaller coffins for his wife and children.
- Immediately beside the türbe, facing the street, is a fountain dated 1011 AH (1602 CE), the year of the Pasha’s death.
