The Source of the Name Mustafapaşa
It is understood that the current name of Mustafapaşa, which used to be Sinasos, emerged during the Greek period. According to what is learned from a manuscript of Serafim Rizos, a pasha named Mustafa, who visited the village for a while, was warmly welcomed in the village. As he was leaving the village, he asked the villager what he wanted from him, and the villager stated that they needed water.
So who is this pasha?
This pasha was a high-ranking government official known as Seyyid Mustafa Pasha. It is understood that the Pasha solved the water problem of the village to a great extent by having fountains built in the village. There are two inscriptions in the village where we see the name of the pasha. One of these is the “Seyyid Mustafa Fountain”, which was originally located right in front of the Cebir Mosque. The other one is the fountain opposite Sipahi Mosque on the road from Zafer Street to Yukarı Mevkii. The year of construction of both fountains was 1804, and the name of the pasha is mentioned in the original marble inscription.
This person, about whom there is limited information in the sources, was a vizier and district governor who, according to a research, died in 1813 (Hijri 1228) and was the deputy of the grand vizier. According to the same source, the pasha also served as a marksman in the palace. Although there were different people with the same name who lived in that period, the years of death of the other mentioned pashas do not coincide with the construction date of the fountains. Considering the date information (1804-1805) in the inscription on the fountains in Mustafapaşa, the pasha we are talking about must be Mustafa Pasha, who gave his name to the village.
Source:
Coarse, J. R. and Coarse, M. (2011). Türkischer biographicischer Index = Turkish biographical index / bearbeitet von. Berlin: De Gruyter.
