Gazi Husrev Beg's Foundations in Sarajevo

Abstract

Gazi Husrev Beg, Sultan Bayezid II's grandson from his daughter Selçuk Sultan, occupied the position of sandjak beg of the Bosnia for short intervals between 1521 and 1541. Important conquest in the northwest of Bosnia, Croatia and Slavonia were fulfilled either by him or with the assistance of his close men such as Murad Beg Tardic. Husrev Beg spent his fortune on building the necessary institutions for the completion of urbani­zation of the Sarajevo city established in the middle of the 15th century. In this respect, he has founded a külliye (complex of building) in the thirties of 16th century which contains a mosque, hankah (dervish convent), imaret (soup kitchen), mekteb (elementary-primary school), madrasa (college) and library. He also built a kervansaray, han, a hamam and stores. Then he took the necessary precautions to guarantee the well functioning and operation of these institutions, to which he attached great importance to. He granted a large amount of cash (900.000 akchas) and real estate, also he has determined where and how the money is to be spent through foundation charters. Gazi Husrev Beg's foundation (vaqfs) are also registered in the tahrir defters (survey tax registries) of the Bosnian sanjak dated 1540, 1565 and 1604. This paper studies Gazi Husrev Beg's foundations in Sarajevo based on the records of foundation charters and survey tax registries.