Sherife Emine Hanım

He (Allah) is Eternal. The late lady, originally from Istanbul, passed away to the eternal realm by divine decree, whilst longing for her siblings, daughter, grandchildren and relatives in Istanbul. The person buried here is the late Şerife Emine Hanım, mother-in-law of Sâmi Efendi, the representative of His Excellency Osman Hayri Pasha, the Tax Collector of Cyprus. May the Fatiha be recited for her soul.

1255 / M. 1839

ŞERÎFE EMİNE HANIM

A Lady from Istanbul with Connections to the Highest Circles of the Ottoman Administration in Cyprus

1255 / M. 1839

The gravestone of Şerîfe Emine Hanım provides more detailed information about her family connections and place of origin than some other women’s gravestones. According to the inscription, she was originally from Istanbul. Whilst in Cyprus, she longed for her brothers, daughter, grandchildren and other relatives who remained in Istanbul, and she passed away in Cyprus in 1839. Şerîfe Emine Hanım also had family ties to the administrative circles of Cyprus at the time. She is identified as the mother-in-law of Sâmi Efendi, the kethüda (deputy) of Osman Hayri Pasha, the Muhassil (treasurer) of Cyprus. The Ottoman Turkish text of the inscription also contains a reference indicating her connection to the Kethüda of the Hazine-i Hümâyun (Imperial Treasury). Her gravestone is particularly valuable in that it illustrates the bureaucratic and familial ties between Istanbul and Cyprus during the Ottoman period. The story of a family stretching from Istanbul to Cyprus, embodied in the person of Şerîfe Emine Hanım, and the longing for the family members she left behind, are reflected in the gravestone.