Person in the Tomb
Bosnalı devşirme kökenli Sokullu Mehmed Paşa, Enderun’dan yetişmiş, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’na üç padişah döneminde (Kanuni Sultan Süleyman, II. Selim ve III. Murad) sadrazamlık yaparak devlete damgasını vurmuştur.
Osmanlı tarihinin en kudretli ve en uzun süre görevde kalan sadrazamlarından biridir. Devlet yönetimindeki başarısı, diplomasi becerisi ve imar faaliyetleriyle tanınır. Yaptırdığı camiler, medreseler, köprüler ve çeşmeler Osmanlı mimarisine değerli katkılar sunmuştur. Bir suikast sonucu divan toplantısında şehit edilmiştir.
About the Mausoleum
- Year Built
- Commissioned By
- Architect
- Location
Featured Highlights
Externally octagonal, the interior forms a hexadecagon due to its niches. The dome rests directly on the walls.
The entrance facade features a portico with three arches and eight marble columns. The outer surface is clad in küfeki stone.
The lower row of windows have marble frames; the upper row features perforated geometric grills, and top windows are decorated with gypsum latticework.
The dome interior is adorned with abstract vegetal motifs in white on a red background. The interior walls are encircled by a blue-ground underglaze band featuring Ayat al-Kursi.
The portico arches are built with alternating pink and white marble courses.
Above the entrance is an inscription of the 'Amantu' in large thuluth script. On the outer facade are fountain inscriptions and a six-verse poetic inscription over the entrance.
The tomb contains 19 graves, including Sokollu Mehmet Paşa, his sons Kasım Paşa, Pir Mehmet Bey, Ahmed Bey, Safiye Hanım Sultan, and grandchildren. Six are wooden sarcophagi, the rest are stone coffins. Some feature wrapped turbans, floral reliefs, and the kalima.
The tomb courtyard includes a family graveyard (hazire) and a madrasa. The tomb and madrasa entrances face each other and are connected by a portico.
