Lala Mustafa Pasha Tomb

Lala Mustafa Pasha Tomb is located in Eyüpsultan district on the European side of Istanbul. One of the district's symbols is in the courtyard of Eyüp Sultan Mosque in Merkez Quarter. The square planned tomb, built in 1580 by the Chief Architect of the palace, Sinan the Architect, is wall-less. It has a dome carried by four columns. The verse written by Calligrapher Hamit Efendi and gilded decorations stand out along with the dome inside the dome covered with iron bars. Floral patterns and geometric shapes are striking. The marble sarcophagus with inscription and a twisted turban on the tomb where Lala Mustafa Pasha was buried attracts attention in the tomb built by a rock type named limestone.

Lala Mustafa Pasha comes from a Bosnian family. He served as imrahor (responsible for horses), çaşnigir (palace official), governor, serdar-ı ekrem (chief commander), second vizier and grand vizier. He became prominent in military expeditions and state administration during the periods of two Ottoman Sultans, Suleiman the Magnificent and Yavuz Selim, respectively. He is referred to as "Conqueror of Cyprus". The island with a strategic location in the Mediterranean was taken from the Venetians in 1571 after a year-long siege and joined the Ottoman lands. He had also been involved in the conquests in the Caucasus and made contributions that would affect the region to remain under Ottoman rule for centuries. It is stated to be intelligent, fair and science friendly.