Queen Mother Bezmi Alem
Queen Bezmi Alem (1807-2 May 1853) is the wife of
Ottoman King Mahmut II and King Abdulmecit’s mother. (Bezmi Alem, means the
world assembly, conversation meeting). Let’s meet the first owner of Mersin.
The lady Sinasi Develi Bezm-i Alem is the wife of King Mahmut. When King Mahmut
died, his son Abdulmecit became the King on 01.07.1839. Her title of “Lady”
turned into the title of Queen Mother. Because Abdulmecit became the king at
the age of 16, his mother was showing efforts to lead him. Queen Mother was an
emotional Ottoman Lady who loved charity donations. The Decree dated 1855 sent
to Adana Governorship by King Mecit is the proof of this as a document. The
decree was written due to the notification of “a looting that had started on
the shore sections Mersin while it was still a village”, to Istanbul. In a nutshell
the decree consitituted: “Upon realization of the fact that there were no
records regarding the Mersin Pier and
Chora in the Registers in Istanbul and upon the fact that it was not able to
decide whether the land there belonged to Demesne Lands Foundation or not; in
an evaluation given by Pious Foundations Minister MUSIR HACI AHMET HASIP PASA
by saying such sandy places in Izmir or else places should be given to Bezmi
Alem Queen Mother Foundation [Bezm-i Alem Valide Sultan Vakfı] and thus the income
of the pious foundation would increase.” When it comes to the Historical
Monument: On the inscription of the old mosque and the fountain, it was exactly
written that: “Queen Mother, mother of King Mecid donated this.” and in its
last line, it has been detected to be written that The Alem person made “a
fountain be established for the sake of her soul.” By saying so, it has been
determined that these places belonged “Queen Mother Foundation.” The year, in
which the fountain was made is 1865 and the year, in which the mosque was done
is 1870. The document: is based on a Decree dated 1855 and an inscription dated
1865.
Bezmi Alem Queen Mother died in Dolmabahce Court on 2
May 1853 and she was buried in Shrine of Mahmut II. in Divanyolu.
The mosque that the Sultan started was not been able to be completed yet then.
Her son Abdulmecit I. made the construction of the mosque under the
architecture of Garabet Balyan finished and in the memory of his mother, he
made the mosque opened with the name
Bezmialem Queen Mother Mosque and made it open for the service. Later
on, due to its closeness to Dolmabahce Court, it started to be called as
Dolmabahce Mosque.
I was a Georgian girl, I became a Queen Mother in the
Ottoman Court.
I used to like the benevolence; so much so that the
foundation named in my name – reached Mersin.