Zeynep Kamil Tomb

Birth/Death: 1808 – 1876
Title: Grand Vizier
About: Yusuf Kamil Paşa was one of the significant statesmen of the Ottoman Tanzimat era. He came to Istanbul at a young age for his education and began working in the Imperial Council. In 1833, he went to Egypt and served under Mehmed Ali Paşa of Kavala, marrying his daughter, Zeynep Hanım. During Abbas Hilmi Pasha's rule, he refused an appointment to Sudan and was exiled to Aswan. Later, he returned to Istanbul and resumed his duties. He served several times as Minister of Trade and briefly as Grand Vizier in 1863. During his vizierate, he organized Sultan Abdülaziz’s trip to Egypt. He was deeply saddened by Abdülaziz’s dethronement and passed away the same year. Together with Zeynep Hanım, he commissioned many charitable works, the most notable being the still-functioning Zeynep Kamil Hospital. He also built numerous schools, roads, fountains, and mosques. He translated François Fénelon's Télémaque into Turkish, producing the first translated novel in Turkish literature.