Sultan V. Mehmet Reşat Tomb
About the Tomb:
- Sultan V. Mehmet was the son of Sultan Abdülmecid. He ascended to the throne in 1909 following the deposition of Sultan Abdülhamid II, taking on a symbolic role under the Constitutional Monarchy. His reign witnessed turbulent times, including the Italo-Turkish War, the Balkan Wars, and World War I—a period marked by rapid territorial losses for the Ottoman Empire. He was buried in the tomb he chose in Eyüp, envisioned as a peaceful resting place among the sounds of children and flowing water.
About the Tomb:
Construction Year: 1914
Ordered by: Sultan V. Mehmet Reşad
Architect: Mimar Kemaleddin Bey
Prominent Features:
- This is the last dynastic tomb built in Istanbul and the only sultan’s tomb constructed outside the city walls.
- It has an octagonal plan; due to the triangular cells covered with trompes on either side of the entrance, a distorted hexagon forms at the base.
- It is one of the most significant examples of Ottoman neo-classical style in funerary architecture.
- Built of limestone, the dome is covered in lead and crowned with a finial.
- The facade is highlighted by a monumental portal reached by a flight of ten steps. Above the door is a basmala written in celî sülüs by calligrapher Ömer Vasfi Efendi and a construction inscription dated 1332 (1914). The tympanum features verse 50 from Sura Sad written in mirrored script.
- The lower section has large, pointed-arch windows with thick moldings; the upper section features pairs of windows with ornamental lunette panels. Muqarnas cornices, crested friezes, and intricately carved stone capitals showcase expert craftsmanship.
- Tile panels extend up to the windows; the patterns replicate the 16th-century classical style. The tiles were likely produced in the Kütahya workshop of Hafız Mehmed Emin Efendi. On the walls, verses from Sura al-Fajr are written in white sülüs on a dark blue background.
- Sultan Mehmed Reşad’s sarcophagus, surrounded by a brass grille, is inscribed with the names ‘Yâ Latîf’ and ‘Yâ Hâfız’. Also buried in the tomb are his chief consort Kâmures Kadın (d. 1921) and his son Necmeddin Efendi (d. 1913).
