The transcriptions of the tombstones at the Yeniçeri Beşe Cemetery were completed by Mr. Furkan Yiğit Gürleyik on November 28, 2025.
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Ali Beşe Tombstone
For
the soul of the late and forgiven
Ali Beşe, recite the Fatiha
. Year 1200
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Hasan Beşe Tombstone
For the soul of the late
Hasan
Bâşe (Beşe)
from Hemşin, recite the Fatiha
. Year 1147
Karacaahmet Cemetery: Bekir Beşe Tombstone, Remizli Tombstone
The purpose of a visit is prayer
; today it is for me, tomorrow it
will be for you. For the soul of the late and forgiven Yamak Bekir Beşe of
the Fifth Battalion from
Borlu, may the Fatiha
be recited. Year 1153
The transcription of the gravestones of Calligrapher Hasan Efendi and Fatma Hanım was completed on February 26, 2026, by Mr. Furkan Yiğit Gürleyik.
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Calligrapher Hasan Efendi’s Tombstone
He is the Ever-Living
, the Eternal, Allah, exalted and glorified
be He. To
His servant Hattat Hasan Efendi, son
of Taşcıbaşı Ağa, and to all believing men and women
, may they depart to My presence? Surah
Al-Fatiha
, Year 1165 Hijri
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Fatma Hanım’s Tombstone
This is the eternal
resting place of Fatima Hanım, the fourth daughter of Sultan Abdülhamid Han, the sovereign of the Paradise of Abode.II’s
fourth daughter, Fatma
Hanım, rests here in her eternal abode. May Al-Fatiha be recited for
her soul. Date of death: Shawwal, Year 306; April, Year 928
The transcription of the gravestones was completed on March 29, 2026, by Mr. Furkan Yiğit Gürleyik.
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Chief Astrologer’s Tombstone
Every soul shall taste death
. May his abode be among the righteous
. The late Chief
Astrologer, Muhammad (Mehmed) Râkım Efendi’s
grandfather, the late
Mehmed Efendi, may God have mercy on
him and grant him forgiveness. For the soul of
Mehmed Efendi, recite Al-Fatiha
. Year 1151
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Halil Ağa Tombstone
My wish is to gaze upon this stone
with a contemplative eye; no one knows my plight until it befalls them
. For the soul
of the late and forgiven
El-Hâc Halîl Ağa, El-Fâtiha
. Hijri Year 1152, Sha’ban?
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Serdengeçti Ahmed Ağa Tombstone
For the soul of the
late Serdengeçti
Ahmed Ağa
of Adana
, recite Al-Fatiha
. Year 1151
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Aisha Kadin’s Tombstone
May she rest in the abode of the
righteous. For the soul of the late Aisha Woman, mother of the former chief stonemason, El-H(âc)
For
the soul of the late and forgiven Aisha
Kadin,
mother of Muhammad Aga. Al-Fatiha, Year 1202
The transcription
of the gravestones was completed on April 18, 2026, by Mr. Furkan Yiğit Gürleyik.
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Grave Stone of Şerife Fatıma Hanım
For the soul of the late Sherife Fatima Hanım, wife of Sayyid Hajji Muhammad Ağa
of Sandāl Bedestān, Al-Fatiha
, 1175
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Şehri Hasan Efendi Tombstone
Huve’l-Bāḳī
, the youngest son
of Mehmed Efendi, Agha of the Patients
at the Tob Kapu Seray-i Hümayun, for the soul of Şehri Hasan Efendi Fātiḥa 1340
, March 18 (Rumi)
The transcription
of the Janissary Tombstone was completed on April 18, 2026, by Ms. Hasibe Durmaz and Mr. Furkan Yiğit Gürleyik.
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Tombstone of Karakullukçu Hüseyin Beşe, Remizli Tombstone
He
has departed from the transient to the eternal; may God make his grave a garden of paradise
. For the soul of
the late Hüseyin Beşe, the Karakullukçu
from Pazarcık. Al-Fatiha
. Year H1211/M1796-7
The transcription
of the Janissary Tombstone was completed on April 27, 2026, by Mr. Mustafa Üzel.
Karacaahmet Cemetery: Tombstone of Young Osman the Water-Carrier, Tombstone of Remizli the Water-Carrier
Hüve’l-Bâki
. Alas, no remedy was found for his ailments
; it seems his time
had come even in his youth. Many spiritual and physical measures were taken
—but even if Lokman had come, what could he do? The cup
of fate was already full. An angel of virtue—his youth
was not spared. O fate, is it fitting for his curse
to be carved in stone? For, O Lord, he had not yet sated himself with the pleasures
of this world. May his resting place be pure, the Garden of Paradise. Dedicated
to the soul of the late Young
Osman, the water carrier of the Thirty-Seven Congregation. Fatiha
. Year H 15 Jumada’l-evvel 1231/April 13, 1816
Transcription
of the tombstone of Grand Vizier Ali Pasha was completed on April 27, 2026, by Mr. Engin Mutlu, Ms. Hasibe Durmaz, and Mr. Furkan Yiğit.
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Grand Vizier Ali Pasha’s Tombstone
He is the Ever-Living One who never dies
; the world is indeed transient. He is the Ever-Living One and He is the Ever-Lasting
One. Open your eyes and do not be heedless—with every breath, the former
Grand Vizier,—the former Grand Vizier, namesake of Haydar al-Kerrâr
—who relinquished the office of the vizierate and withdrew from the world.
He was the possessor of knowledge, both above and below; alas
, having fallen gravely ill, to which realm of eternity did he depart?
Recite a Fātiḥa with sincerity; come and bring
joy to his soul. May His Highness Züʾl–minen
. Written with a tear from my eye, Aynî marked the date
of his passing: ʿAli Pasha, may Allah be pleased with him, made ʿAdn his abode
. On the 19th of Jā (Jumādā al-Ūlā)
, Year 1242
The transcription
of the gravestones was completed on May 3, 2026, by Ms. Hasibe Durmaz and Mr. Furkan Yiğit Gürleyik.
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Çalık El-Hacı Mehemmed Tombstone
For
the late and forgiven Çalık El-Ḥācī Meḥemmed, may the Fātiḥa be recited for his soul
, in the year 1126
Karacaahmet Cemetery: Hüseyin Efendi the Nut Seller’s Tombstone
Ah, death
! Grant me forgiveness, O Lord of Yezdan
, by the right of the Throne—the greatest light of
the Qur’an. May the brothers
who come to visit my grave bestow
a Fātiḥa upon my soul. May they recite the Fātiḥa for the soul of Hüseyin Efendi, son of Meḥemmed Emīn, the nut seller,For the soul of
Muhammad Emin zadeh Hüseyin
Efendi,
born in the year 1275
, who passed away on the 9th of Sha’ban-Muʿaẓẓam, Year 1313
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Yorgancı Mehmed Ağa Tombstone
Al-Fātiḥa
Dergāh-ı ʿĀlī
In the fifth division of Cebeciler, from
Kara Viran, the nephew of
Serden Gecdi Ağa, Mahmoud Ağa, and his three brothers, the late
and forgiven Yorgancı Meḥemmed Ağa
, may his soul rest in peace, on the 2nd of Ramadan,
Year 1142
The transcription of the gravestones was carried out on June 15, 2026, by Ms. Hasibe Durmaz and Mr. Furkan Yiğit Gürleyik.
Karacaahmet Cemetery: Grave Stone of Bekir Ağa, Trustee of the Fifty-Three Regiments; Headstone: Çatal Kalafat
He is the Ever-Living,
the Eternal. Whoever prays with sincerity will
receive intercession from Mustafa
on the Day of Judgment… May the place of this deceased’s final resting place be Paradise-al-Firdaws, O Lord, through the truth of this inscription
?
The late and forgiven one, in need of the mercy of
his Lord, the Forgiving—Bekir Ağa, Trustee
of the 53rd Battalion—may the Fatiha
be recited for his soul. Year 1174?
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Veterinary School, 3rd Grade, Kemal Bey’s Tombstone
Ah, what a parting!
I found no fulfillment
in this transient world; I spent my life
in youth. My parents wept
bitterly over their sorrow; may God make my dwelling the House’s-selâm
, son of
Beglerbegli Major Sa’îd Bey, a third-year
student at the Veterinary School, the late Kemal
Bey—may the Fatiha
be recited for his soul. Year 1315
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Tombstone of Abdurrahman Efendi of Iskilip
He is the Ever-Living, the Eternal
—Allah, glorified and exalted
be He. For the late Abdurrahman Efendi of Iskilip
, one of the distinguished exegetes and hadith
scholars“May Allah have mercy on
Abdurrahman Efendi
and upon all the believing men and
women, by the virtue of Surah al-Fatiha
. Year 1177 (1763)
On …”
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Dervish Hüseyin’s Tombstone
He is the Ever-Living
. O visitor, you who are a dervish of the people of piety
, if you seek guidance
regarding the realm of the grave, the time of the night of the grave is like the time of spring
; the heart is a deep, dark
house of sorrow. Guestof the feast and the generous
host, The center of noble deeds, the guest of Azar
. Do not lose hope in mercy
, O Sultan of the Messengers, the Healer, and Lord- al-Ghaffar
, for the sake of Dervish Hüseyin, grant forgiveness
. O Most Merciful, Most Generous, Most Gracious, and Concealer
of Faults. The Gate of the Chief Accountant
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Tombstone of Dervish İbrahim Edhem Vasfi Efendi
From among the devotees
of the Mevlevi Order and the scribes
of the Imperial
Registry Office, for the soul of Dervish İbrahim Edhem
Vasfi Efendi, Fatiha
. On the 15th of Shawwal, 1256
The transcription of the gravestones was completed on June 17, 2026, by Mr. Furkan Yiğit Gürleyik.
Karacaahmet Cemetery: El-Hajj Abdi Çelebi Tombstone
For the soul of the late and forgiven
Oturakcı el-Hac ‘Abdi
Çelebi, a resident
of the Bit Bazaar, may Allah accept it
—El-Fatiha
. Year 1122
Karacaahmet Cemetery: Tombstones of Osman Efendi and Ahmed, Students of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque School
(Left side of the photo)
“Huve’l-Hallaku’l-Baki”
—For the soul of the late Osman Efendi
, a student
of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque
School. Al-Fatiha
. Year 1169
, in the month of Shawwal
(Right side of the photo)
By the grace of Allah the Exalted
, the late and forgiven
teacher
of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque
School, Ahmed ….
Karacaahmet Cemetery: The Tombstone of Monla Mustafa and the Tombstone of Yorgancı Mehemmed Ağa
(Right side of the photo)
For the soul
of the late Monla Mustafa, son
of Kayseri-born
Kavukcı İsma’il. Al-Fatiha, Year 1134, Month of Muharram
(Left side of the photo)
Al-Fatiha
: For the soul of Mahmud Aga
, son of Serdengecdi Aga from
Karaviran, of the Fifth Division at the Dergah-i ‘Ali
in Cebeciler… For the souls of the three brothers, the late
and forgiven quiltmaker Mehemmed Ağa
—Fatiha, year 1142
, on the 20th of Ramadan
Karacaahmet Cemetery: Tombstone of Müderris Köprülü Hafız Hasan Efendi and Mehmed Çelebi
(Left side in the photo)
Al-Fatiha
for
the soul of the late
Hafız Hasan Efendi
, son
of the Professor from Köprülü, in the year 1167
(Center of the photo)
For the soul of the late and forgiven Monla Mehmed, the turban-maker
from Kayseri, may the mercy
of his Lord, the Forgiving One, be upon him… and
for the soul of the late Mehmed Çelebi. Fatiha. Year 1134
Karacaahmet Cemetery: El-Hajj Osman Efendi’s Tombstone
He is the Ever-Living, the Ever-Existing
(Allah), exalted and glorified be He… Who among us
is free from death? And may the late…
el-Hajj Osman Efendi
be granted mercy? In
the name of the Fatiha, in the year 29
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Arpacızade İbrahim Çelebi Tombstone, likely 🕳 Esnaf Remizli Tombstone
For the soul of the late, forgiven
Arpacızade
İbrahim Çelebi
, recite the Fatiha
. Year 1123
🕳
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Mehemmed Ağa Tombstone, likely ||| Esnaf Remizli Tombstone
For
the soul of the late and forgiven
Mehemmed Ağa, El-Fatiha
, Year 1145
|||
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Osman Tombstone, likely ||| Esnaf Remizli Tombstone
Having passed away, “Did death
take Osman due to his certificate? Did he
bring solace to the homes
of his grieving parents? The House of Sorrow—‘Granting forgiveness
for
his shortcomings, may he enter… Paradise?’ Me’men?
Having heard this… I inscribed the date
: ‘Osman’s eternal
homeland…’ Year 1165 H. On the 35th of 19?
|||
The transcription of the gravestones was completed on June 17, 2026, by Mr. Mustafa Üzel.
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Hüseyin Yazıcı Tombstone, Headpiece: Three Tufts with Ribbons, Tombstone with a Flag Emblem
He is the Everlasting
One. While I was still young in this world, I wandered for a time
. Suddenly, death came, and my resting place became the garden-ı Cinân
. I never found any remedy
for my sorrow. My parents wailed and lamented
for a time. He met his fate in the Odunkapusu fire. To the soul of the late Hüseyin
Yazıcı, son of Hüseyin Ağa, son of Serdar
Zâde of Kuşakcı, who met his fate in that
disaster. Fâtiha Year H1233/1817-8
K 26
Karacaahmet Cemetery: Tombstone of Ali Ağa, Former Servant; Headgear: A conical cap wrapped in the Katibi style with a rod, ⚓ Tombstone with a remiz
(In the center of the photo)
⚓
In memory of the late and forgiven Ali
Ağa, former head of the
31st Osmancıklı unit, who left
the Kullukçuluk, may the Fâtiha
be recited for his soul. Year 15 Muharram 1238/October 8, 1822
The transcription of the gravestones was completed on June 18, 2026, by Mr. Furkan Yiğit Gürleyik.
Karacaahmet Cemetery: Grave Stone of Osman Beşe from Safranbolu, Grave Stone of Zülfikar Remizli
Hüve’l-Hayyu’l-Baki
. A Fatiha
for the soul of the late and forgiven
Osman
Beşe of the 61st Division
from Safranbolu. Year 1179
(Zülfikar Remiz)
Karacaahmet Cemetery: Tombstone of El Hacı Süleyman, Treasurer of Revan
Hüve'l-Hallaku'l-Baki
. For the soul of the late
and forgiven El-Hacı Süleyman
Efendi, the Revan Treasurer and a relative
of the former Grand Vizier
Süleyman Pasha, may he rest in peace
. Recite the Fatiha
. Year 1156 H.
Gravestone with the Tuğrul Kuş symbol, half-buried in the ground. The source of the inscription is the book by Mr. Mustafa Üzel, “The Janissary Aghas and the Janissary Corps: Gravestones and Symbols.”
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Yağcıoğlu Es Seyyid Ahmet Ağa Tombstone, Double Tuğrul Kuş-Decorated Janissary Tombstone
Intercession for the people of my community
who have committed grave sins. May this sorrowful separation of mine not
last long, for this is the decree—what other recourse is
there but to accept God’s will? Esami Seyyid Ahmed, also known
as Yağcızâde, fell into a hopeless affliction.Who can provide
a cure? At the age of twenty-one, he succumbed to the plague… May
his mother not weep in sorrow over his loss. Leaving [?] this transient world, he departed for the eternal abode………..
May He grant
forgiveness and mercy. For Yağcıoğlu Seyyid Ahmed Ağa, who departed
in longing for his mother while in foreign lands—may the Fatiha
be recited for his soul. In the year 1211, on the first day of
The following section, including the tuğra, was added on June 21, 2026, by Ms. Hasibe Durmaz.
Selim Han, son of Mustafa the Victorious, is ever
sorrowful; may this separation not linger
long. For this is the decree of God—what other recourse is there?
His name is Seyyid Ahmed, also known
as Yağcızâde; he fell into a helpless affliction… Who could
have foreseen it? At the age of twenty-one, he
succumbed to the plague. May
his mother not weep in sorrow over his loss. Leaving this mortal realm, he departed for the realm of eternity
. May God grant him forgiveness… May God grant
him forgiveness and mercy. For the soul of the late
Yağcıoğlu Es-seyyid Ahmed Ağa, who departed while longing for his mother in a foreign land, recite Al-Fatiha
. Year 1211, on the first day of Muharram?
The transcription of the gravestone inscriptions was completed on July 15, 2026, by Mr. Furkan Yiğit Gürleyik.
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Böcrek Oğlı İbrahim Beşe Tombstone Inscription:
He is the Ever-Living
. For the soul of the late İbrahim Beşe
, son
of Böcrek, who departed to the realm of eternity
, recite Al-Fatiha
. Year 1180
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Stonemason Seyyid Davud Usta Tombstone Inscription:
Karacaahmet Cemetery No. 8142
(Meter: Fâ'ilâtün/Fâ'ilâtün/Fâ'ilâtün/Fâ'ilün)
He
is the Ever-Living, the Ever-Existing.
He has departed this world, leaving behind
all worldly possessions and wealth in a single hour. May my
brothers who come to visit my grave recite the Fatiha for my soul: “Kul huwallahu…”
The son of the pilaf maker
from Tavlusun, Kayseri, who passed away
at the hour of his appointed time… For the soul of the late and forgiven Taşcı Seyyid Dâvûd
Usta, recite the Fatiha
. Year 1250 H.
Inscription on the Tombstone of Şehbaz Hatun at Karacaahmet Cemetery:
Al-Fatiha
for
the soul of the late and forgiven
Şehbaz Hatun
. Year 1136
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Balkal Yusuf Ağa Tombstone Inscription:
El-Fatiha
: For
the soul of
the late and forgiven
Bakkal Yusuf Ağa of
the Great Hagia Sophia, Year 1138
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Tombstone Inscription of Sheikh Mehemmed Hilmi Efendi, Chief Clerk of the Tophane-i Amire Gunpowder Depot:
He
is the Eternal One, one of the Sheikhs of the Noble Rufa’i
Order, Chief Clerk of the Gunpowder Depot of the
Tophane-iÂmire,
may Allah accept it for the sake of his
soul. Fatiha
. On the 15th of Rabi’ al-Awwal, Year 1323
Gravestone Inscription of Mustafa Ağa from the Haseki Family at Karacaahmet Cemetery:
The purpose of a visit is prayer
; what is for me today will
be for you tomorrow. Whoever recites a prayer
for the soul of Mustafa, may the Noble
Messenger intercede for him in the Hereafter. From the Haseki
family of the Bostancıyan…A Fatiha
for the soul of the late
Mustafa Ağa. Year 1157
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Tombstone Inscription of Qadi Nevşehirli El Hac Ali Efendi:
He is the Ever-Living
, the Eternal. Previously in the Illuminated City of Medina—may Allah illuminate it—
Exalted be He until the Day of Judgment
. For the soul of the late and forgiven
Judge Nevşehirî el-Hac ‘Ali Efendi
, recite the Fatiha
. Year 1181 H.
On the 20th of Shawwal. He is the Ever-Living
, the Ever-Existing. May the light of Medina, may Allah bless it, shine upon him?
May he ascend to the Day of Judgment
. For the soul of the late and forgiven
Judge Nevşehirî el-Hac ‘Ali Efendi
, recite al-Fatiha
. Year 1181 H.
On the 20th of Shawwal
Karacaahmet Cemetery, Kadiri Sheikh Sayyid al-Hajj Muhammad Tombstone Inscription:
(Crown of the Qadiri Caliph)
He is
the Ever-Living Creator, the Pole of the Gnostics, and the Guide
of the Attainers, Mevlana Sayyid Isma’il Rumi,
from
the noble and pure lineage of Merretü’l-‘âlî, and from the-ı ‘aliyye-i Kadiriyye,
and the devoted father
……. the attendant of the post ….
…. of the family of …, Sheikh Sayyid
El-Hajj Mehemmed ………..
El-Hajj, the Sheikh, Sayyid ….
………….. Allah, in the year 1303? In ….
The transcription of the tombstone inscription was made on July 18, 2026, by Mr. Furkan Yiğit Gürleyik.
Karacahmet Cemetery, Tombstone
of Ayasofyalı El-Hacı İbrahim, Karacahmet Cemetery No. 7964
For
the soul of the late and forgiven
Ayasofyalı El-Hacı
İbrahim, recite Al-Fatiha
. Year 1153
, 23th of ? (Shawwal)
52 (Remiz)
