The mausoleum of Abyssinian Beylerbeyi Özdemir Pasha, one of the important commanders of the Ottoman Empire, who ruled for peace in the regions where he ruled for many years, was left unclaimed today in the Massawa region of Eritrea.
It is seen that no serious repair work has been carried out on the mausoleum in the historical city and the mausoleum is in danger of collapse.
Özdemir Pasha, who was appointed as a governor in the province of Egypt during the Mamluk period, started to serve in the Ottoman army as an officer after the Ottoman Empire's Egypt expedition.
He later conquered the lands of Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia and Abyssinia with his few thousand soldiers.
The pasha, also known as the Conqueror of Abyssinia, won the hearts of the people of the region with dozens of structures such as mosques, inns and baths that he built in the regions he conquered.
Özdemir Pasha was one of the names that Suleiman the Magnificent consulted on every issue regarding the region.
“WE FORGET OZDEMIR PASHA IN AFRICA”
Underlining that Özdemir Pasha, who served for the Ottoman Empire for many years, his legacy in Africa consisted of mosques, madrasahs and bridges, Gençoğlu said that although he died in Yemen, he moved to Eritrea in accordance with his will, showing his affection for the region.
"We forgot Özdemir Pasha, who left behind a Turkish-Islamic legacy and introduced Turkish coffee to the Ottoman society, in Africa. It is essential that Turkey's authorized institutions protect this heritage," he said.
“NO WORK CURRENTLY CONDUCTED”
It is known that the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), which carries out studies in many historical areas in the near and heart geography, has many studies in the region.
TIKA officials, whom we talked to about whether a study is being carried out on Özdemir Pasha's mausoleum, stated that there is no work at this stage.
It is seen that the ambassadors working in Asmara do not attach enough importance to this issue.
“WE SHOULD CLAIM THE OTTOMAN HERITAGE IN AFRICA”
Dr. Halim Gençoğlu, who has been working on the African history of the Ottoman Empire, stated that Özdemir Pasha died in 1561 when he was the governor of Yemen, and his grave was transferred to the Shaikh Durbush Cemetery in Massawa, Eritrea 10 years later, upon his will.
Gençoğlu stated that Özdemir Pasha was one of the commanders who showed the might of the Ottoman Empire in Africa.
"The dominant religion in East Africa today is Islam. Özdemir Pasha and his son Osman Pasha saved East Africa from being Catholic. By spreading the religion of Islam in Sudan, Abyssinia, Somalia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, they laid the foundations for cultural expansion. We must protect the mausoleum of Özdemir Pasha. In order to carry out diplomacy with the Ottoman legacy behind us, we must first preserve that legacy," he added.