Ahmed Fethi Pasha


Rodosizade Ahmed Fethi Pasha, was an Ottoman marshal, ambassador and industrialist, who belonged to te Turks of the Dodecanese.

Career

Prior to becoming a Marshal, Ahmed served as ambassador to Russia in 1833, Austria in 1834-1836 and France in 1837-1839. His last diplomatic assignment was as the representative of the Ottoman Empire at Queen Victoria's coronation. In 1839, Ahmed returned to Constantinople for Sultan Abdulmejid I's coronation and to marry Abdulmecid's sister Atiye Sultan.
As an industrialist he was intent on bringing the Ottoman Empire into the modern age. Ahmed started steel factories and the famous Beykoz porcelain factory, which carried the insignia Product of Istanbul.
In 1846, Ahmed, now marshal of the Imperial arsenal, turned the Hagia Irene into a military antiques museum. It is possible Ahmed gained his inspiration for the conversion of the Hagia Irene into a museum, from touring European museums during his career as an ambassador. Through his work, he created the first Ottoman museum.

Descendants

From his first wife Ayşe Şemsinur Hanım, Fethi Pasha had two sons, Mehmed Besim Bey and Damad Mahmud Celaleddin Pasha, and two daughters Yeğane Hanım and Emine Güzide Hanım. From his second wife, Atiye Sultan, he had two daughters, Seniye Hanımsultan and Feride Hanımsultan.
Mahmud Celaleddin Pasha married Cemile Sultan, daughter of Sultan Abdulmejid I and Düzdidil Kadın. The two together had seven children, four sons, Sultanzade Mehmed Celaleddin Bey, Sultanzade Sakıb Bey, Sultanzade Ahmed Fazıl Bey, and Sultanzade Mehmed Kazım Bey, and three daughters, Fethiye Hanımsultan, Fatma Hanımsultan, and Ayşe Sıdıka Hanımsultan.
Emine Güzide Hanım married Mehmed Said Pasha, and had five children, two sons, Memduh Bey and Mehmed Said Bey, and three daughters, Ayşegül Mediha Hanım, Fatma Saide Hanım, and Saliha Yeğane Hanım.