Sultan Mehmed V Reşad: His Life, Reign and Tomb

Mehmed V Reşad was sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 27.04.1909 until his death on 03.07.1918. His nine years fell in the Second Constitutional Era (İkinci Meşrutiyet), which began in 1908, when the grand vizier (sadrazam), the head of the government, answered to parliament.

The board, its dates and its cards come from TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, “Mehmed V”. Days are counted between the two dates printed on each card.

Who he was 1844 to 1909

Mehmed V Reşad was born at Çırağan Palace on 02.11.1844, a son of Sultan Abdülmecid I. He became the heir in 1876, when his brother Abdülhamid II took the throne, and sultan on 27.04.1909.

1. 02.11.1844 Born at Çırağan Palace. His father was Sultan Abdülmecid I; his mother was Gülcemal Kadınefendi.
2. Youth He grew up in palace custom and learned Arabic, Persian and some religious subjects. TDV İA writes that he lived freely and comfortably in the reigns of his father and his uncle Abdülaziz.
3. 1876 His brother Abdülhamid II took the throne, and he became the heir. TDV İA writes that Abdülhamid II, anxious because two sultans before him had been deposed, forbade his brother to meet anyone in the palace except Abdülhamid’s own people. TDV İA adds that this closed and fearful life affected him deeply.
4. Heir years He joined the Mevlevî order (a Sufi order) when young and spent his time as a prince reading the Mesnevî, the long poem of Rumi. He also liked reading Ottoman history and the tales of his forefathers.
5. 27.04.1909 He became sultan.

Source: TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, “Mehmed V”.

27.04.1909 how he became sultan

On 27.04.1909 parliament decided to remove Abdülhamid II and to put the heir, Reşad Efendi, on the throne. TDV İA says he came to the throne by a coup (darbe), as his brothers Murad V and Abdülhamid II had before him.

1. Background The Otuzbir Mart Vak‘ası (the «31 March incident», a military revolt that ended with Abdülhamid II’s removal) came first. The Hareket Ordusu (the Action Army) put the revolt down and entered Istanbul.
2. The decision The Meclis-i Umûmî-yi Millî, the joint session of parliament, in which the CUP had the majority, voted to remove Abdülhamid II and to put Reşad Efendi on the throne. It counted the Action Army’s entry into Istanbul as the city’s «second conquest» and chose for the new sultan the title Beşinci Mehmed.
3. The oath The same day, at the ceremony of allegiance (biat) held at the War Ministry, he swore to protect the Sharia (Islamic law), the constitution (Kânûn-ı Esâsî), constitutional rule, the rights of the nation and the country’s interests. Not every member of parliament had been there, so the oath was repeated in the Meclis-i Millî on 20.05.1909.
4. The grand vizier Ahmed Tevfik Paşa offered his resignation, as the form required. The new sultan did not accept it.

Source: TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, “Mehmed V”.

Who held power 1909 to 1918

Under the constitution the grand vizier headed the executive. He and his cabinet answered to parliament and could stay only while the Meclis-i Mebusan, the elected chamber of deputies, trusted them. The sultan could name the grand vizier but was not responsible for carrying out policy. TDV İA concludes that the palace had stopped being the centre of political life.

Source: TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, “Mehmed V”.

The Meclis-i Mebusan met at Çırağan Palace on the Bosphorus, the palace where he was born. The three salons on its upper floor held the throne, the chamber and the upper house.

1. 1909 About four months after the proclamation of the Second Constitutional Era, the palace was given to the Meclis-i Mebusan and fitted out for its meetings.
2. 14.11.1909 The second session of the Meclis-i Mebusan opened there.
3. 19.01.1910 A fire began at about noon, said to have come from a heating chimney or an electrical contact. It burned for five hours and could not be put out. Only the outer walls were left.
4. Today The walls were restored as part of a large modern hotel built in the palace garden.

Source: TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, “Çırağan Sahilsarayı”.

TDV İA writes that each of the ten governments took office in a time of crisis and left office after another.

Three wars in dated lines

Three wars fell in his reign: the war with Italy over Tripolitania, the Balkan War and the First World War.

Italy and Tripolitania, 1911 to 1912

1. 28.09.1911Demand

   Italy asks the Ottoman state to evacuate and hand over Tripolitania (Trablusgarp), the Ottoman province on the Libyan coast.

2. 29.09.1911War

   Italy declares war on the Ottoman state. İbrâhim Hakkı Paşa resigns the same day.

3. 05.10.1911Annexation

   Italy announces that it has annexed Tripolitania–Benghazi, which TDV İA calls the last Ottoman land in Africa.

4. 24.04.1912 – 20.05.1912Aegean

   Italy occupies the Aegean islands and then begins to threaten Istanbul.

5. 18.10.1912Peace

   The government signs the treaty of Ouchy (Uşi) with Italy and accepts the loss of Tripolitania–Benghazi.

The Balkan War, 1912 to 1913

1. 08.10.1912War

   The Balkan War begins. Its two phases ran from 08.10.1912 to 29.09.1913.

2. 29.10.1912Government

   TDV İA writes of heavy defeats, with the Aegean islands and all of Rumeli up to Edirne lost. The sultan has Muhtar Paşa resign and names Kıbrıslı Kâmil Paşa.

3. 23.01.1913Coup

   The Bâbıâli Baskını, led by Enver Bey, ends Kâmil Paşa’s government. The CUP presses the sultan to name Mahmud Şevket Paşa.

4. 30.05.1913London

   The London treaty is signed. It gave all of Rumeli, Edirne included, to the Balkan states.

5. 11.06.1913Killing

   Mahmud Şevket Paşa is killed in an assassination. Said Halim Paşa is named on 12.06.1913.

6. 21.07.1913Edirne

   Edirne is retaken during the Second Balkan War.

The First World War, 1914 to 1918

1. 02.08.1914Alliance

   A secret alliance with Germany is signed in Istanbul, and general mobilisation is declared the same day. Parliament began a five-month break that day.

2. 10.08.1914Ships

   The German cruisers Goeben and Breslau, chased by the British navy, enter the Dardanelles and take shelter. The Ottoman government bought them.

3. 27.10.1914Black Sea

   The Ottoman fleet, with the cruisers now named Yavuz and Midilli under the German admiral Souchon, sails into the Black Sea, sinks Russian ships and shells Sevastopol and Novorossiysk.

4. 02.11.1914Russia

   Russia declares war on the Ottoman state.

5. 03.11.1914Çanakkale

   The Çanakkale battles begin and run until 09.01.1916.

6. 11.11.1914Declaration

   The sultan’s declaration of war on Britain, Russia and France. TDV İA writes that the trio of Enver, Cemal and Talat took the country into war without the knowledge of some party and cabinet members, and that the sultan, who had not wanted it, announced the war the same day.

7. 15.11.1914Jihad

   TDV İA’s entry on the war dates the caliph’s call to holy war (cihâd-ı mukaddes) 15.11.1914. Its entry on the sultan puts his «great jihad» declaration, asking all Muslims to join the war on the army’s side, on 11.11.1914.

8. 14.01.1915Parliament

   At the opening of parliament the sultan says that, although neutrality had been declared, the Russian fleet’s attack on the Ottoman fleet forced him to order war.

9. 03.02.1917Government

   Said Halim Paşa resigns. Talat Paşa becomes grand vizier.

10. 30.10.1918Armistice

    The Mondros Armistice is made, after the sultan’s death.

Source: TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, “Mehmed V”; TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, “Birinci Dünya Savaşı”.

Journeys Bursa, İzmit and Rumeli

TDV İA writes that the sultan wanted to talk with people and to know his country, and often went out on trips within Istanbul. With the grand vizier and some ministers he also visited Bursa and İzmit.

On the trips

• He met people of every religion and race.
• He gave money to schools and charities.
• He handed out gifts of coins struck specially for the trips.
• On 18.11.1909, opening the second legislative year of the Meclis-i Mebusan, he spoke of what he had seen and said he was glad that the idea of Ottoman brotherhood was growing.

Rumeli, 05.06.1911 to 26.06.1911

1. Why TDV İA writes that the İttihatçılar sent the sultan to Rumeli hoping to calm the people of the region, where trouble had started again, and to win them back to the state.
2. The route The grand vizier and some members of the government went too. The journey took in Çanakkale, Selânik (Thessaloniki), Üsküp (Skopje), Priştine (Pristina), Kosova and Manastır (Bitola).
3. On the way TDV İA says crowds welcomed him with enthusiasm along the way. He met people of every religion and nationality, gave to charities and handed out coins struck in memory of the journey.
4. Friday prayer He prayed the Friday prayer with a large congregation on the Kosova plain, where the tomb of Murad Hudâvendigâr (Murad I) stands.
5. Afterwards TDV İA writes that the journey had a good effect on the various peoples, the Albanians above all, but that unrest began again in Rumeli.

Source: TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, “Mehmed V”.

The last year and his death

After Talat Paşa’s government began on 03.02.1917, TDV İA writes, the sultan shut himself away in his palace. He received the representatives of allied states who visited because of the war, and he died on 03.07.1918.

1. 1917 and 1918 He received representatives of the allied states who visited because of the war. TDV İA names the German emperor (September 1917) and the emperor of Austria-Hungary (May 1918).
2. The war years When Istanbul was in danger of occupation, the government decided to move to Eskişehir, and the sultan began to prepare. He asked his brother Abdülhamid II, then living at Beylerbeyi Palace, to come too. Abdülhamid II refused and advised him not to go, saying that if Istanbul were left it could not be returned to. The sultan stayed.
3. Illness He had long complained of diabetes (şeker hastalığı) and had earlier had a prostate operation. The busy programme for the emperor of Austria-Hungary tired him, and the illness grew worse.
4. 24.06.1918 He managed the customary visit to the hırka-i saâdet, the Prophet’s Mantle, on the 15th day of Ramadan only with difficulty. After that he stayed in his palace until his death and signed the papers his chief secretary brought, in bed.
5. 03.07.1918 He died, before the Mondros Armistice was signed, and was buried at Eyüp in the tomb he had built in his lifetime. His brother Mehmed VI Vahdeddin succeeded him.

Three dates to keep apart

11.11.1914

The war declaration, as TDV İA’s entry on the sultan dates it.

15.11.1914

The caliph’s call to jihad, as TDV İA’s entry on the First World War dates it.

Wilhelm II

September 1917 in TDV İA; 15.10.1917 on the photograph’s file page.

Source: TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, “Mehmed V”; TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, “Birinci Dünya Savaşı”.

Where to find him today tomb, palaces and tughra

Four places keep his traces in Istanbul: the tomb at Eyüp, Dolmabahçe Palace, where he lived, Çırağan Palace, where he was born, and his tughra (tuğra), the sultan’s calligraphic signature, on his coins.

The tomb, in Eyüp

Where

On the shore of the Golden Horn (Haliç) in Eyüp, built at his wish by the architect Mimar Kemâleddin.

Built

TDV İA notes that some sources give 1912. An inscription inside the tomb carries the date 1332 on the Hijri calendar (1914).

Place

TDV İA calls it the last dynasty tomb built in Istanbul and the only sultan’s tomb outside the city walls.

Buried with him

Kâmures Kadın, his senior consort (died 1921), and his son Necmeddin Efendi (died 1913).

Next to it

A primary school built at his wish, with a small mosque on its north side.

Source: TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, “Mehmed Reşad Türbesi”.

Dolmabahçe Palace

His years

Millî Saraylar, the state’s palace administration, lists him, «Sultan V. Mehmed Reşad (1909-1918)», among the six sultans who lived there from 1856.

Visiting

Ticket office 09:00–17:00; closed on Mondays and on some days around public holidays (Millî Saraylar, checked 30.10.2026).

Where

Dolmabahçe Caddesi, Beşiktaş.

Source: Millî Saraylar, “Dolmabahçe Sarayı”.

Çırağan Palace

Born here

He was born at Çırağan Palace on 02.11.1844.

The palace

The earlier palace, opened with new wooden sections in 1839, was pulled down in 1859–60. The stone palace was built from 1863 and finished in 1871.

Today

Restored as part of a large modern hotel, after the fire of 19.01.1910.

Source: TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, “Çırağan Sahilsarayı”; TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, “Mehmed V”.

His name and signature

• The tughra is the sultan’s calligraphic signature. The Ottoman tughra is explained on its own page.
• On his gold coin of 1911 the word Reşad stands to the right of the tughra.
• A mosque in Karapınar, in the province of Konya, bears his name.

Source: TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, “Mehmed V”.

Sources where each fact comes from

Facts and dates come from these entries of TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi and the Millî Saraylar page, checked 30.10.2026.