Abstract
During the long wars of Ottoman State against Austria and Iran between 1593 and 1618, aside from attempting to secure the borders outside, the Celali revolts terrorized the country inside, became uncontrollable and forced Ottoman State to make peace with Austria. The situation in which this rebellion brought the state and the people has been repeatedly referred by many Ottoman historians.
The subject of this article, Ömer Pasha, while struggling to eliminate the rebels during Celali crisis in the country, he had a magnificent mosque built in the Elmalı District of Teke Sanjak which according to Oktay Aslanapa constitutes the most important work of the intermediate period before the Sultan Ahmet Mosque. During the Celali revolts in which there was serious looting and destruction in the country, the fact that Ömer Pasha had the most beautiful mosque built in Elmalı region, a provincial town, even in whole Southwest Anatolia, brought to mind the question of “why Elmalı” and aroused curiosity about his identity.
In this study, it is attempted to investigate who Ömer Pasha was and why he preferred Elmalı for the construction of a mosque based on the Ottoman Archive records and various other sources of that period. In addition, elaborations are made about his waqf in Elmalı, which often causes conIn this study, it is attempted to convey who the Ömer Pasha was and why he preferred Elmalı for the construction of a mosque based on the Ottoman Archive records and the sources of the period. In addition, evaluations are made about his waqf in Elmalı, which often causes controversy.