Mithat Pasha Monument

Mithat Pasha Monument, built by Prof. Dr.Hüseyin Anka being faculty member of Istanbul Academy of Fine Arts and opened in 1966 with a grand ceremony, is one of the most important monuments in Ankara. So, for those who don't know, who is Mithat Pasha? Mithat Pasha, whose real name was Ahmed Şefik, was born in Istanbul in 1822. Pasha, who held many bureaucratic posts in the Ottoman Empire, was appointed Governor of the Tuna province in 1864. In later years, he was appointed Governor of Baghdad province, which strengthened his role in history, and continued his duties with much superior success. He even served as Grand Vizier for as little as three months in 1872. A statue of Mithat Pasha, who served as governor of Girit(Crete), Aydin and many other places during his life, was built and placed next to the headquarters building in Ankara on the occasion of the 103rd anniversary of the establishment of the Ziraat Bank, which he founded in 1863 for the needs of farmers when he was governor of the Tuna. The statue, which was ceremonially opened in 1966, is made by Professor Doctor Hüseyin Anka, who is also a sculptor and a member of the Istanbul Academy of Fine Arts. On the lower part of the statue, which is depicted sitting together with scales on the right, wheel and virgo objects on the left, there is the inscription “Mithat Paşa 1822-1884”, dedicated to the dates of birth and death. The oversized monument is packed with tourists who want to take a commemorative photo alongside it at all hours of the day.