Ebubekir Pasha (Ottoman Turkish:ابوبکر پاشا;Turkish:Ebubekir Paşa; 1670 – 1759[1]), also referred to asKoca Bekir Pasha (Turkish:Koca Bekir Paşa) andAbu Bakr Pasha orAbubakr Pasha (Serbo-Croatian:Ebu Bekir Paša;Greek:Απού Μπεκίρ Πασάς), was anOttoman statesman. He served asKapudan Pasha (Grand Admiral of the Navy; 1732–33, 1750–51); as governor (beylerbey) of the provinces ofEgypt,Jeddah,Cyprus, andBosnia; and as head of theImperial Mint. In 1740 he became the fourth and last husband ofSafiye Sultan daughter ofSultanMustafa II.
A great philanthropist, Koca Bekir Pasha was considered one of the most enlightened and productive statesmen ofhis time.[2]
Ebubekir was born in 1670 inAlaiye (modern-dayAlanya,Turkey).[3] He was ofTurkish origin.
His most notable legacy is the still-standingKamares Aqueduct, also known as the Bekir Pasha Aqueduct, built in 1746 or 1747[4] during his tenure as the Governor ofCyprus, which he financed personally to aid the water supply to the area.
Realizing the difficulties of fresh water access for the poor in the city, Koca Bekir Pasha built this massive aqueduct to improve the water supply to Larnaca. Built in the Roman style, the aqueduct carried water from a source about 6 miles (9.7 km) south ofLarnaca into the town. The water supply works involved a longtunnel, 250 air wells, and three series of overland arches. It was completed by 1746.
Foreign travelers have often counted it as the most important monument constructed during the Ottoman period in Cyprus. In 1754, Alexander Drummond noted that:
For the honour of Ebu Bekir Paşa I must communicate an instance of the old gentlemen’s public spirit. While he was Paşa of this land, in the year 1747, he formed the noble design of bringing water from the river at Arpera, and occasional springs on the road about six miles from hence, to supply the people of Larnaca, Salines and the shipping. A work worthy of great and good man, which might have cost him above fifty thousand piasters of six thousand pounds.[5]
The aqueduct was repaired in 1856, and the renewed structure made it possible for the aqueduct to remain in active use until the 1950s.[6] Relics of the aqueduct still stand outside Larnaca and are referred to as "The Kamares" ("The Arches") today. The aqueduct is illuminated at night.
His signature is found under many major construction and reconstruction projects in every city he served as a governor.
During his tenure as the Governor ofCyprus, he helped revitalise the local economy by having 23 shops built inNicosia financed by his personal funds.
Koca Bekir Pasha died in 1759 at the age of about 90 and was buried inAksaray inIstanbul.[1]
He donated his property to a foundation (Turkish:vakıf) in his name and his will has been documented in detail.[7]
{{citation}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Ottoman Governor of Egypt 1727–1729 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Ottoman Governor of Egypt 1735–1739 | Succeeded by |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by | Kapudan Pasha 1732–1733 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Kapudan Pasha 1751–1751 | Succeeded by |
