Letter of Grand Vizier İbrahim Pasha to the Ottoman Ambassador (Silahdar) İbrahim Paşa, Istanbul, September 5, 1719

Benüm ʿizzetmendüm paşa-yı muḥterem ḥażretleri Devlet-i ʿAliyye-yi ebediyyü’l-istimrār ile ḥürmetlü ḥaşmetlü Nemçe Çāsārı beyninde ṣūret-pezīr-i istiḳrār olan muṣālaḥa-ı ḫayr-encāmıñ ̱semere ve muḳteẓāsından olan dostluḳ ve muvālātuñ teʾkīd ve teşyīdi ve bünyān-ı muṣāfātuñ istiḥkām ve teʾyīdi içün ḫitām-ı muvādaʿada muʿtād oldıġı üzere ṭaraf-ı Devlet-i İmparaṭoriyyeden mümtāz ve muʿteber büyükilçilik ile baʿ̱s ve irsāl olunan ḳıdvetu ümerāʾi’l-milleti’l-mesīḥiyye raġbetlü dostumuz Ġruf de Virmond ḫutimet ʿavāḳıbuhu bi’l-ḫayr işbu biñ yüz otuz bir senesi şeḥr-i Ramażān-ı Şerīfinün on ikinci Bāzār güni Dārü’s-salṭanat-ı’l-ʿaliyye şehr-i Ḳosṭanṭiniyye humiyet ʿani’l-āfāt ve’l-beliyyeye sālimen vuṣūl ve Ġalaṭada bir miḳdār ḫastelik olmaġla maḥall-i mezbūrda öteden beri ilçilerüñ iḳāmetgāhları olan ḳonaḳları ḥāżır ve āmāde olunmış iken ḫastelikden nāşī aña nüzūl eylemekden teḥāşī ve şehr-i mezbūrdan ʿillet-i mez̠kūre mündefiʿ oluncaya dek ḫāric-i sūrda ḫastelikden maṣūn bir maḥallde meks̠ ve iḳāmet eylemegi iḫtiyār ve istidʿā itmekle riʿāyet-i merāsim-i mihmāndārī içün mesʾūline müsāʿade ve ḫāric-i şehirde Davudpaşa ve Vīdoz baġçeleri eṭrāfında olan çiftliklere baḳdırub ḳanġisi kendülere münāsib ise aña nüzūle ruḥṣat virilmek üzere taḫyīr olundıḳda ṭarafından mahṣūṣ ādemler taʿyīn ve ol ḥavālīde olan çiftliklerden cenābıñızuñ Ḫazīnedār Çiftligi dimekle maʿrūf çiftligiñize raġbet itmekle maḥall-i mezbūra nüzūl itdirilüb kendüsi çiftlikde ve etbāʿı çadırlar ile eṭrāfında oturub bu ḥāl üzere ārām ve ḳarār The Austrian Engineer Captain Otto Friedrich von Öbschelwitz, who was in Grand Ambassador Hugo von Virmont’s delegation in 1719-20, was instructed by Prince Eugene to prepare a detailed map of the entire journey route from Belgrade to Istanbul. As part of that task, Öbschelwitz drew a detailed map of Istanbul and its surroundings. He also provided the exact location of Hazinedar Çiftliği at Davutpaşa. ve şeḥr-i İstanbula vuṣūllerinüñ beşinci güni ki māh-ı Ramażān-ı Şerīfün on altıncı Pençşenbe günidür muʿtād üzere alay ile Edirne ḳapusından şehre düḫūl ve Fenār ḳapusından çıkub Ayvansarāydan yine mekān-ı maḫṣūṣlarına varub istirāḥat ve māh-ı mezbūruñ on sekizinci Cumʿa-irtesi güni gelüb bizümle görişüb ḥürmetlü ḥaşmetlü ulu dostumuz Romā İmparatorı Çāsār-ı bā-vaḳār ḥażretlerinden ṭarafumuza olan muḥabbetnāmeleriyle hediyye-i beḥiyyeleri ve rütbetlü meveddetlü başvekīl dostumuzuñ mektūb-u merġūblarını īṣāl ve teslīm ve müşārün ileyḥimā dostluġa lāyıḳ ve maḥabbet ve muvālāta müteʿallıḳ her ne tavṣīye eylemişler ise kemāl-i ādāb ve tevāżuʿ ile teblīġ ve tefhīm itmekle es̠nāy-ı mülāḳātda olan ḥüsn-i ḥareketinden ziyāde ḥaẓẓ olunmaġın ṭarafumuzdan daḫı gendülere eslāfından ziyāde riʿāyet ve ḥürmet ve dostluḳ merāsimi icrā ḳılınduḳdan ṣoñra ḳarārgāhlarına ʿazīmet itdürilüb yine māh-ı mezbūruñ yigirmi birinci Ṣalı güni sarāy-ı hümāyūnda ġalebe dīvānı ve dergāh-ı muʿallā ḳullarına iki ḳısṭ mevācib tertīb ve ilçi-yi mūmā ileyḥ yevm-i mezbūrda dīvān-ı hümāyūna daʿvet ve ziyāde riʿāyet ve ḥürmet ile getürdilüb ḳubbe altında mevācib tevzīʿ ve tekmīl olundıġı gibi muġīs̠u’l-islām ve’l-müslimīn sulṭānu’l-berreyn ve ḫāḳānu’l-baḥreyn şevketlü kerāmetlü ḳudretlü mehābetlü efendimüz pādīşāh-ı islam-penāh ve şehinşāh-ı felek-destgāh ebbede llāhu salṭanatehū ve ̣̣kuvvāhu ḥażretlerinüñ ḥużūr-ı hümāyūn-ı mehābet-maḳrūn-ı cihāndārīlerine girilüb ve ilçi bey ẕātında rüşd ve sedād ve ʿaḳl ve kiyāset ṣāḥibi olmaḳdan nāşī resm ve ādāba kemāl-i riʿāyet ile nāmesini mübārek rikāb-ı hümāyūn-ı şehinşāhīye vesāṭetümüz ile teslīm ve hedāyāsını daḫı ʿarż ve teblīġ ve emr-i sefāreti tetmīm eyledükden ṣoñra gerek gendüsi ve gerek dīvān-ı hümāyūna maʿan gelen begzādeler teşrīfāt-ı mülūkāne ile talṭīf ve iktisāb-ı mufāḫaretden ṣoñra yine ārāmgāhlarına ʿazīmet ve el-yevm anda ḳarār idüb pey-der-pey envāʿ-ı ikrām ile mihmān-nüvāzlıḳda diḳḳat-i tāmm olunmaḳdadır. Ḥattā Pençşenbe ve Bāzār-irteleri binişler olmaḳ nevʿān deʾb-i ḳadīm oldıġı maʿlūmuñuzdur. Taḥrīr-i ḳāʾimeden bir gün muḳaddem ki māh-ı Şevvaluñ onṭokuzıncı Bāzār-irtesi güni Vidoz bāġçesine ṭoġrı binmiş idük. İlçi-yi mūmā ileyḥi daḫı bāġçe-i merḳūma daʿvet idüb ʿaẓīm görişilüb ṣoḥbetler olunub vech-i münāsib ile ikrām olundıġından māʿadā devleteyn beyninde vuḳūʿ bulan muṣāfāt ve muvālāt muḳteżāsınca Buzurofçada temessüke derc olundıġı üzere muḳaddemā es̠nā-yı muḥārebede gendülere müteʿalliḳ aḫz̠ ve tersāne-i ʿāmireye vażʿ olunan esīrler daḫı taḫlīṣ ve ṭaraflarına teslīm olunmışdur. ʿAḫdnāme derūnında şarṭ ve derc ḳılındıġından ḳaṭʿ-ı naẓar ilçi-yi mūmā ileyḥiñ ḥarekāt-ı merġūbe ve eṭvār-ı pesendīdesine ve getürdigi nāme-i muḫālaṡat-ʿalāmelerinün mażmūn-ı meveddet-nümūnlarından istinbāṭ olundıġına göre ol ṭarafda bulunan esārā-yı müslimīn daḫı şimdiye dek ṭarafuñuza teslīm olundıġında ḳaṭʿan iştibāhımız yoḳdur. Siz daḫı aḫz̠ ve istiḫlāṣ eyledügüñüzi iʿlām eyleyesiz. İlçi-yi mūmā ileyh edīb ve ḳadir-şinās ve dāʾimā devletlerinüñ rıżāsını taḥṣīle sāʿī bir işbilür kimesne olub ḥarekāt ve sekenātından ziyāde maḥẓūẓ olduġımızdan nāşī Ġalaṭada bir ḳonaġa naḳl eylemeleri münāsib olub ve muḳaddemā ilçilere maḫṣūṣ olan ḳonaġun eṭrāfında ẓuhūr iden ḫastelik daḫı egerçi mündefiʿ olmışdur lākin ḳonaġ-ı mezbūr dil-ḫᵛāh dil-ḫāh üzere müferreḥ olmadıġından yine Begoġlında ilçi beg dostumuzuñ iḫtiyār ve ḫᵛāhīşleri ḫāhīşleri üzere Felemenk ilçisi reʾy ve maʿrifetiyle fāḫır ve dil-küşā ḳonaḳ tedārük ve konaġ-ı mezbūra mülāṣıḳ etbāʿı içün daḫı müstevfī ḫāneler taḫlīye itdürilüb tārīḫ-i ḳāʾimeden birḳaç gün ṣoñra çiftlig-i mezbūrdan ḥareket ve konaġ-ı merkūma nạkl ve iḳāmete ḳarār eyleye. Siz daḫı şān-ı Devlet-i ʿAliyye ve nāmūs-ı salṭanat-ı seniyyeye muvāfıḳ ḥarekete mübāderet ve meʾmūr olduġıñız vechle gerek esārā-yı müslimīnüñ taḫlīsünde ve gerek z̠immet-i ihtimāmuñuza müterettib olan ḫuṣūṣlarda vech-i lāyıḳ ile bez̠l-i ḳudret ve ḫidemāt-ı pesendīde vücūda getürmege ṣarf-ı miknet eyleyesiz. Fī 20 Şevval 1131

His excellency, my honorable and respectable Pasha: Between the Ottoman Empire that shall endure forever and the respectable, majestic Austrian Emperor, a prosperously concluded peace came into effect. As per custom, for the strengthening and reinforcement of friendship and mutual confidence that are of the fruits and necessities of the peace, and for the solidification and confirmation of the edifice of true friendship, at the conclusion of the reconciliation, our esteemed friend, paragon of the great commanders of the community of the Messiah, Graf von Virmont - may God end his days propitiously - was dispatched with distinguished and highly regarded grand ambassadorship by the imperial state. He safely arrived on the twelfth day of the month of Ramadan in this current year of one thousand thirty-one to the city of Constantinople, the abode of the sultanate - may God protect it from disasters and calamities. Although the mansion that was the residence place of envoys for as long as anyone can remember was ready and prepared, as there was a little bit of disease in Galata, the ambassador avoided moving in there due to the disease, and, until the said disease was repelled from the said quarter, he preferred and requested to reside outside of the city walls at a location that is protected from the disease. His will was approved to abide by the formal procedures of hospitality. [The ambassador] was [then] given the choice of being shown the farms located outside of the city around Davudpaşa and Vidos gardens, to choose whichever one was suitable for him, and to move in there. Upon this, men were appointed by him to that purpose and, out of the farmslocated in that vicinity, he liked the farm of yours known as Hazinedar Farm. He was then transferred to that said location and, while [the ambassador] himself lodged inside the farm, his attendants sat around the farm in tents. They settled and rested in this way. On the fifth day of their arrival to Istanbul, which was a Thursday and the sixteenth day of the holy month of Ramadan, as per custom, they entered the city with a parade through the Gate of Edirne and exited from the Gate of Fener and, over Ayvansaray, arrived back to their designated location and rested there. On the eighteenth day of the said month [of Ramadan], Saturday, [the ambassador] came and met with me and delivered the letter of friendship addressed to us with the beautiful presents from our venerable, majestic, and exalted friend the Roman emperor, his majesty the dignified caesar, and the desirable letter of our loving friend of high rank, the chief minister (başvekīl). Whatever these aforementioned two [the emperor and the chief minister] recommended worthy of friendship and regarding the mutual affection and confidence, [the ambassador] announced and communicated them with perfect decorum. For we were exceedingly pleased with his fine conduct during the interview, a [degree of] friendly ceremoniousness, respect, and esteem was displayed to him by our side that exceeded that had been shown to his predecessors. Afterward, he was returned back to his headquarters. Again, on the twenty-first day of the said month [of Ramadan], Tuesday, a festive meeting of the imperial council (ġalebe dīvānı) was organized inside the sultanic palace, and the janissaries of the sultanic court were paid two portions of their salaries. On that day, the ambassador was invited to the imperial council where he was brought with much respectful treatment and reverence. As soon as the salaries were handed out and completed in the domed chamber, [the ambassador and his inner circle] entered the world-ruling and awe-inspiring imperial presence of his excellency, who is the helper of Islam, the sultan of the two continents and the ruler of the two seas, the majestic, generous, mighty, and magnificent sovereign, the refuge of Islam and the king of kings whose seat is as high as the heavens - may God immortalize his sultanate and power. The ambassador is a person of right judgment and proper conduct; as a man of wisdom and intelligence, abiding fully by the rules of formality and good manners, he delivered his letter to the blessed imperial stirrup of the king of kings through our mediation, presented and transmitted his gifts, in this way completing the task of ambassadorship. Later on, both he and the noblemen who came to the imperial council along with him were complimented with royal ceremonies and earned pride in this way. After that, they went back to their place of residence. As of today, they are still residing there, and, little by little, they are shown numerous courtesies and utmost care is paid to hospitality. In fact, you know that horseback riding on Thursdays and Mondays are, in a way, an old tradition. A day before the writing of this paper, the nineteenth day of the month of Şevval, Monday, we rode on horseback toward Vidos Garten. The ambassador was also invited to that garden; we had long conversations and talks with him and we showed him courtesy in a proper way. Moreover, in accordance with the true friendship and mutual confidence that occurred between the two states, as set down in writing in the protocol at Passarowitz, the prisoners of war formerly captured from their side during the war and placed at the imperial shipyard were released and delivered to [the ambassador]. Irrespective that it was stated as a condition and set down in writing in the treaty (ʿaḫdnāme), [considering] the agreeable behavior and pleasing conduct of the ambassador and as inferred from the friendship-exhibiting content of the letter that is a sign of sincerity, we have absolutely no doubt that the Muslim prisoners located on that side [in Austria] are also handed to you by now. You shall also report that you have received and saved [the Muslim prisoners]. The ambassador is a gentlemanly and appreciative person who constantly struggles for the contentment of his state. As we have been much pleased by his actions and quiescence, his transfer to a residence at Galata is now suitable and the disease that had erupted around the lodgings designated for ambassadors is repelled. However, since that lodging [at Galata] is not expediently comfortable, a splendid and pleasant residence chosen and desired by our friend ambassador in Beyoğlu was prepared with the opinion and the mediation of the Dutch ambassador. While Galata historically referred roughly to the area around the Galata Tower and Karaköy coast, Pera (today Beyoğlu) referred to the areas higher in altitude to the northeast of Galata. This historical distinction is lost today in public naming of the area. For his inner circle, a sufficient number of houses adjacent to the said residence have been emptied; [at the moment, the Austrian ambassador] is waiting to move from the said farm (Hazinedar Çiftliği) and transfer to the said residence (in Beyoğlu/Pera) and reside there. You shall urgently set about to act in a way that is suitable for the reputation of the Sublime State and the honor of the exalted sultanate, to employ all your power both for the setting free of the Muslim prisoners in the way you have been commissioned and about the issues entrusted to your diligent duty, and [in this way] to perform pleasing services. On 20 Şevval 1131