The Origin of the Name Mustafapaşa
It appears that the current name of Mustafapaşa, formerly Sinasos, emerged during the Greek period. According to a manuscript by Serafim Rizos, a pasha named Mustafa visited the village and was very well received. When he asked the villagers what they wanted before leaving, they stated that they needed water.
So who was this pasha?
This pasha was a high-ranking state official known as Seyyid Mustafa Pasha. It is understood that the pasha largely solved the village’s water problem by having fountains built. There are two inscriptions in the village bearing the pasha’s name. One of them is the “Seyyid Mustafa Fountain,” originally located directly in front of the Camii Cebir Mosque. The other is the fountain opposite the Sipahi Mosque on the road from Zafer Street to Yukarı Mevkii.
Both fountains were built in 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 deputy governor who, according to one study, died in 1813 (Hijri 1228) and served as a deputy to the Grand Vizier. According to the same source, the Pasha also served as a scribe in the palace. Although there were other people with the same name who lived during that period, the death years of the other Pashas mentioned do not coincide with the construction dates 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:
Çıkar, J. R. and Çıkar, M. (2011). Türkischer biographicischer Index = Turkish biographical index / bearbeitet von. Berlin: De Gruyter.
