Description

The first printed biography of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha (1506-1579) was written by an Ottoman scholar Ahmet Refik Altinay and printed in 1924 in Istanbul.

Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, or Mehmed-paša Sokolović, was one of the most prominent figures of the 16^th century in the Ottoman Empire. Sokollu was born in the south-eastern part of Bosnia of what is today on the Serbian border, to a Christian Orthodox-Serbian family. He was taken to Istanbul as a young boy to become a janissary, which was a part of the “blood tax” (devşirme) by the provinces in the Ottoman Empire.

Known for his intelligence and skills Sokollu Mehmed Pasha eventually achieved titles of a commander of the imperial guard, High Admiral of the Fleet, Governor-General of Rumelia, Third Vizier (1555–1561), Second Vizier (1561–1565), and Grand Vizier, which he held for over 14 years between 1565 and 1579 under three sultans.

Sokollu Mehmed Pasha was a patron of arts and architecture, such as the Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque in Istanbul and the bridge over Drina at Višegrad, close to his birth place. In the 20^th century, he became an inspiration for the novel The Bridge over Drina (Na Drini ćuprija) by a Yugoslav writer Ivo Andrić, which brought the author a Nobel price.

Ahmet Refik Altınay (1881-1937) was an Ottoman writer and professor of history.

References: OCLC 251570025, 23509215, 606325902, 27930750, 977545312.