Name Ahmed Pasha Role Industrialist | ||
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Rodosizade Ahmed Fethi Paşa, (b. 1801 in Rhodes- d. 1858 in Istanbul), was an Ottoman marshal, ambassador and industrialist and belonged to te Turks of the Dodecanese.
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 Abdulmecid 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 (Eser-i 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 Marriage with Şemsinur, he got the daughters Yegane and Güzide and the son Damat Mahmud Celaleddin, who later married Cemile Sultan. From his secondly Marriage with Atiye Sultan he got two daughters: Seniye Hanımsultan (b.3.10.1843 - d.10.12.1910) and Feride Hanımsultan (b.30.5.1847 - d.1920) Ahmed Fethi Pasha married secondly Atiye Sultan and got two daughters.