Research Article

From the Ottoman Palace to the Last Resting Place in Bosnia: Silahdar Mustafa Pasha’s Tomb and Career Path

Number: 30 September 15, 2026
TR EN

From the Ottoman Palace to the Last Resting Place in Bosnia: Silahdar Mustafa Pasha’s Tomb and Career Path

Abstract

This article revisits the historical details of Silahdar (Perişan) Mustafa Pasha's tomb (died 1799) in Travnik, central Bosnia, and re-examines previously published information about his career. Mustafa Pasha held roles as governor and district governor in several Ottoman provinces (eyalets) and districts (sancaks). He also served as a deputy (ḳā’im-maḳām) for the Grand Vizier and was married to Beyhan Sultan, daughter of Mustafa III. Despite being a notable figure in the Ottoman administration in the late 18th century, little is known about his life and career. The existing literature on him includes many misunderstandings, from the dates of his appointments and death to the names he used during his lifetime. Although his gravestone’s inscription has been published multiple times, errors persist, and some key details were completely overlooked. A thorough edition of the inscription is needed to address these issues. This article offers a careful edition of the inscription along with historical research into the context of his burial and his career path from the Ottoman court to his final resting place in Bosnia. The study relies on epigraphic evidence and unpublished documents from Ottoman archives.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

The author declared that this study has no financial support.

Ethical Statement

I declare that this study is original; that I have acted by the principles and rules of scientific ethics at all stages of the study, including preparation, data collection, analysis, and presentation of information; that I have cited sources for all data and information not obtained within the scope of this study and included these sources in the bibliography; that I have not made any changes in the data used, and that I comply with ethical duties and responsibilities by accepting all the terms and conditions of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). I hereby declare that if a situation contrary to my statement regarding the study is detected, I agree to all moral and legal consequences that may arise.

References

  1. Devlet Arşivleri Başkanlığı Osmanlı Arşivi (BOA), Istanbul
  2. Bâb-ı Âsafî, Dîvân-ı Hümâyûn Sicilleri, Tahvil (Nişan) Kalemi Defterleri (A.NŞT.d): 16.
  3. Cevdet-i Dahiliye (C.DH): 15/743.
  4. Cevdet-i Maliye (C.ML): 227/90488.
  5. Topkapı Saray Müzesi Arşivi (TS.MA), Defterler (D): 21716.5
  6. University of California Library (UCLA Library)
  7. DR556.H13N [Nūrī Tāriḫī]
  8. Gazi Husrev-begova biblioteka (GHB), Sarajevo

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Late Modern Ottoman History

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Publication Date

September 15, 2026

Submission Date

December 18, 2025

Acceptance Date

May 10, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: 30

APA
Kasumovic, F. (2026). From the Ottoman Palace to the Last Resting Place in Bosnia: Silahdar Mustafa Pasha’s Tomb and Career Path. Osmanlı Medeniyeti Araştırmaları Dergisi, 30, 23-58. https://doi.org/10.21021/osmed.1844573
AMA
1.Kasumovic F. From the Ottoman Palace to the Last Resting Place in Bosnia: Silahdar Mustafa Pasha’s Tomb and Career Path. OSMED. 2026;(30):23-58. doi:10.21021/osmed.1844573
Chicago
Kasumovic, Fahd. 2026. “From the Ottoman Palace to the Last Resting Place in Bosnia: Silahdar Mustafa Pasha’s Tomb and Career Path”. Osmanlı Medeniyeti Araştırmaları Dergisi, nos. 30: 23-58. https://doi.org/10.21021/osmed.1844573.
EndNote
Kasumovic F (September 1, 2026) From the Ottoman Palace to the Last Resting Place in Bosnia: Silahdar Mustafa Pasha’s Tomb and Career Path. Osmanlı Medeniyeti Araştırmaları Dergisi 30 23–58.
IEEE
[1]F. Kasumovic, “From the Ottoman Palace to the Last Resting Place in Bosnia: Silahdar Mustafa Pasha’s Tomb and Career Path”, OSMED, no. 30, pp. 23–58, Sept. 2026, doi: 10.21021/osmed.1844573.
ISNAD
Kasumovic, Fahd. “From the Ottoman Palace to the Last Resting Place in Bosnia: Silahdar Mustafa Pasha’s Tomb and Career Path”. Osmanlı Medeniyeti Araştırmaları Dergisi. 30 (September 1, 2026): 23-58. https://doi.org/10.21021/osmed.1844573.
JAMA
1.Kasumovic F. From the Ottoman Palace to the Last Resting Place in Bosnia: Silahdar Mustafa Pasha’s Tomb and Career Path. OSMED. 2026;:23–58.
MLA
Kasumovic, Fahd. “From the Ottoman Palace to the Last Resting Place in Bosnia: Silahdar Mustafa Pasha’s Tomb and Career Path”. Osmanlı Medeniyeti Araştırmaları Dergisi, no. 30, Sept. 2026, pp. 23-58, doi:10.21021/osmed.1844573.
Vancouver
1.Fahd Kasumovic. From the Ottoman Palace to the Last Resting Place in Bosnia: Silahdar Mustafa Pasha’s Tomb and Career Path. OSMED. 2026 Sep. 1;(30):23-58. doi:10.21021/osmed.1844573

Indexes

SCOPUS, TÜBİTAK/ULAKBİM TR DİZİN [SBVT]

INDEX COPERNİCUS [ICI], ISAM, SOBIAD and Scilit.


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