DAMAT ALI-PASHA TURBEH

It's located in the upper town of the Belgrade fortress, not far from Mehmed-Pasha Sokolovic's fountain and the archaeological remnants of Despot Stefan Lazarevic's court, as well as the Cultural Monument Protection Institute.

The story of Damad Ali Pasha’s türbe is complex and shrouded in mystery. The current türbe has no direct connection to the tomb of Grand Vizier Damad Ali Pasha himself.

Damad Ali Pasha served as Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1713 to 1716, during the reign of Sultan Ahmed III. He earned the title "Damad" or "Damat" (Turkish for "son-in-law") after marrying the Sultan's daughter. He led Ottoman forces against Austria in the Battle of Petrovaradin in 1716, where he was defeated. Fatally wounded, he passed away shortly afterward. Some historical records suggest that he was buried in Belgrade.

The türbe, however, was built over 50 years later, in 1784, as the tomb of Izmet Mehmed Pasha, the muhafiz (commander) of Belgrade. During the First Serbian Uprising, the structure suffered significant damage. It was later restored by the Ottomans in 1819 and rededicated to Damad Ali Pasha, who was believed to have been buried in Belgrade. Some accounts also suggest that his personal seal-bearer, who returned to Belgrade as a defterdar (tax collector) after the Austrian occupation (1717–1739), may have constructed the türbe over his grave.

Today, the türbe houses the graves of Izmet Mehmed Pasha and two commanders of the Belgrade Fortress: Selim Pasha (1847) and Hasan Pasha (1850).

The türbe is now owned by the Turkish Embassy and is the inalienable property of the Turkish state, making it inaccessible to the public.

Although it bears the name of Grand Vizier Damad Ali Pasha of Sultan Ahmed III’s court, no conclusive evidence confirms his burial location. Nevertheless, historical accounts indicate that he was interred in Belgrade in 1716.

The turbe, which is 7 meters tall, was built with stone as a one-room construction. It has a hexagonal foundation, which is 8 meters in diameter. After years of neglect, the Turkish Agency for International Cooperation and Development helped renovate the turbe, as well as Mehmed Pasha-Sokolovic's fountain and the small staircase in Kalemegdan in 2017.