Gazi Husrev Bey | |
|---|---|
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| Native name | Ḫusrev |
| Born | 1484 Serez,Sanjak of Salonica,Ottoman Empire |
| Died | 1541 (aged 56/57) Mokro,Sanjak of Scutari, Ottoman Empire |
| Buried | Sarajevo,Sanjak of Bosnia, Ottoman Empire |
| Allegiance |  Ottoman Empire |
| Years of service | –1541 |
| Rank | Sanjak-bey ofBosnia andSmederevo |
| Battles / wars |
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Gazi Husrev Bey (Ottoman Turkish:غازى خسرو بك,Gāzī Ḫusrev Beğ;Modern Turkish:Gazi Hüsrev Bey;Serbo-Croatian:Gazi Husrev-beg; 1484–1541) was anOttomanBosniansanjak-bey (governor) of theSanjak of Bosnia in 1521–1525, 1526–1534, and 1536–1541. He was known for his successful conquests and campaigns to furtherOttoman expansion intoCroatia andHungary. However, his most important legacy was major contribution to the improvement of the structural development ofSarajevo and itsurban area. He ordered and financed construction of many important buildings there, and with his will bequeathed all his wealth into endowment for the construction and long-term support of religious and educational facilities and institutions, such as theGazi Husrev-beg Mosque, and theGazi Husrev-begova Medresa complex with aGazi Husrev-beg Library, also known asKuršumlija.
Gazi Husrev-beg was born inSerez,Sanjak of Salonica,Ottoman Empire (todaySerres inGreece).[1] His father, Ferhad-beg, was a Bosnian nobleman fromHum (modern-dayHerzegovina), who worked as a high court official.[2] His mother,Selçuk Sultan, was the daughter of theSultanBayezid II, making Gazi Husrev-beg Beyazid II's grandson.
In less than three years, he conquered the fortresses ofKnin,Skradin andOstrovica. He was appointedsanjak-bey of theSanjak of Bosnia on 15 September 1521, becoming one ofSultanSuleiman I's most trusted men.
A relentless campaign of conquest followed soon; the fortified towns of Greben, Sokol, Jezero,Vinac, Vrbaški Grad, Livač, Kamatin,Bočac,Udbina,Vrana, Modruč, andPožega fell at his hands.
He founded, among the many buildings he ordered to construct in thecity, thevakuf ofSarajevo, which was active until the 20th century.[3]
Gazi Husrev-beg played a crucial role to overcome theChristian army at theBattle of Mohács. His 10,000Akıncıs and his irregularcavalry, composed ofTurks,Bosnians andCrimean Tatars, served as reserve soldiers in that battle. According to the Ottoman military strategy, theAkıncıs circled the European knights while theTurkish infantry made a counterfeit retreat after the first assault.
Gazi Husrev-beg's forces struggled against a power vacuum inMontenegro after the death ofOttoman ally, islamizedMontenegrinlordSkender-beg Crnojević in 1528. In 1541, during an uprising of Montenegro nobility, he set out to protect theCrnojevićs and the local populace. After fighting many battles to maintain order in the region, although finally victorious, he was killed while fightingChristian rebels in Mokro, a small village inDrobnjaci (present-dayMontenegro). Legend states that he was a big man, so his warriors were unable to carry him, but instead of doing this, they took apart his intestines and buried them on a small hill calledHodžina glavica (Imam's Peak). The legend has it that this event gave Drobnjaci their name (Drob is anarchaicSerbo-Croatian word for intestines), although the name Drobnjaci is recorded earlier in history. However, its real connection to Gazi Husrev-beg's place of rest is unclear. His corpse was returned toSarajevo, where it remains in atomb in the courtyard of his mosque (türbe), next to the smaller one ofMurat Bey Tardić, a former Christian prisoner converted to Islam and made his duke and deputy (ćehaja).[4]
Gazi Husrev-beg's endowment or Gazi Husrev-begovvakuf (trust or foundation) is based on his threevakufnama's (deeds of endowment), the first being issued November 1531, second on January 1537, and the third on November 1537. The three deeds of endowment were also legal basis for the establishment of the institution, theGazi Husrev-begov Vakuf (orGazi Husrev-beg's Endowment), whose primary purpose is to take care of the endowment's properties and support for the endowed established institutions. With it Husrev-beg bequeathed his property and wealth for the construction of facilities and the establishment of institutions, religious, educational, and public. The firstvakufnama from 1531 required the construction of a mosque, humanitarian publickitchen (imaret) andguest house (musafirhana) andḫāniqāh. The second issued on 1537 required for theKuršumlija madrasa to be established and built, and also library to be equipped with books and other publications books purchased. The third from 1537 endowed additional property to support the mosque and other facilities.
The endowment today consists of a number of buildings and institutions built and supported by theGazi Husrev-begov Vakuf: theGazi Husrev-bey's Mosque, built in 1531 as the central object of the religious part of the endowment with aclock tower, Husrev-beg's and histurbe's and other supporting buildings,Gazi Husrev-bey's Madrasa with theGazi Husrev-bey's Library as the central objects of the educational part of the endowment,Gazi Husrev-bey's bezistan,Morića Han askonak andTašli Han [de] as acaravanserai,Gazi Husrev-bey's Hamam,imaret andmusafirhana near clock tower,muvekkithane [tr],šadrvan,hastahana as a hospital,mekteb,Gazi Husrev-begov Hanikah as aDervish's monastery with a boarding school, and large number of shops around theBaščaršija.
The Museum of Gazi Husrev Beg is established in fall 2012 by the Gazi Husrev Beg Waqf (endowment).[5][6]
Most of these building are declaredNational Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina by theCommission to preserve national monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
| Preceded by | Sanjak-bey ofBosnia 15 September 1521 — 1525 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Sanjak-bey ofBosnia 1526–1534 | Succeeded by Ulama-paša |
| Preceded by Ulama-paša | Sanjak-bey ofBosnia 1536–1541 |
