Sultan III. Mehmet Tomb

Son of Sultan III. Murad and Safiye Sultan, Sultan III. Mehmet ascended the throne in 1595 and applied the fratricide tradition in its most severe form, executing nineteen of his brothers. His reign was overshadowed by the ongoing Long Turkish War (1593–1606) against Austria and the Celali rebellions in Anatolia.
In 1596, he personally led the army and won the Battle of Haçova (Mezőkeresztes), halting the Habsburg advance; the fortresses of Eger, Esztergom, and Kanije were captured. However, the expenses of the front created a deficit in the treasury, while rebellions grew in Anatolia. In Istanbul, the foundation of the New Mosque (Yeni Cami) was laid, and the Tiled Pavilion in Topkapı Palace was restored.
Dying at the age of 37 due to illness, Sultan III. Mehmet was buried in the tomb next to Hagia Sophia that bears his name. His short reign is remembered as a turbulent transitional period in Ottoman history marked by the victory at Haçova and the Celali turmoil.

Construction Year: 1604 – 1609

Ordered by: Sultan Ahmed I

Architect: Dalgıç Ahmed Ağa and Sedefkar Mehmed Ağa

Prominent Features:

Octagonal in plan, the tomb features a double-dome structure and is clad in marble externally.
The outer dome rests on the walls, while the inner dome is supported by arches carried by eight columns.
The facades have three rows of windows: rectangular with stone jambs at the bottom, pointed arches in the middle, and round-arched windows on the dome.
The facades are articulated with horizontal and vertical moldings, large torus moldings at the corners, and muqarnas friezes.
On the south facade, above the lower row of windows, is a three-line, twenty-four-verse inscription.
The entrance on the east facade is preceded by a three-unit portico renewed in the later period.
The door frame features a shell-shaped pediment, baroque elements, and geometric interlacing with ivory inlays on the wooden wings.
The interior walls up to the second row of windows are covered with underglaze İznik tiles. Above is a tiled inscription band with verses from Surah al-Jumua.
Wall tops, dome, and pendentives are decorated with painted ornamentation including the Names of God, the Prophet, the Four Caliphs, Hasan, and Husayn.
Door, window, and cabinet panels are adorned with ten-pointed star motifs in geometric patterns.
The interior is raised and paved with bricks; there are fourteen sarcophagi. According to Ayvansarâyî, there are twenty-six inside and four outside the tomb.