Autograph letter signed 'Mehmed Serif' with his original photograph taken in 1914.

Original autograph letter and one original press photography of Damad Mehmed Serif Pasha [Çavdarlioglu]; two items together. Photograph taken in 1914 according to the seal on verso. Sealed and photo by French photographer Dupuy & Cie. of Paris. This photo used by 'Meurisse' for a reportage, there is another seal by 'Meurisse' of Paris. 14x9 cm. Text in French. Autograph letter by Mehmed Serif written a fine in Ottoman script addressed to an unnamed person. He mentions on this letter 'Nizamülmülk's Siyasetnama [i.e. Book of politics], he wanted to translate it, however he wrote in his letter that he's afraid of translation. Damat Mehmet Serif was a Turkish statesman, Ottoman Minister of Interior, author, translator and the groom of Sultan Abdulaziz. He graduated Mulkiye School and worked in various government services. In 1901, he married Emine Sultan who was the daughter of Sultan Abdülaziz. Therefore he was groom (Damat) of Ottoman Court in the last period of the Ottoman Empire. He was translator of 'Voyages of Ibn-i Battuta' into Turkish from Arabic language and 'The Prince' by Machiavelli. from French. (Source: Türk meshurlari -1946-, Ibrahim Alaettin Gövsa). He's known with his a negative attitude towards the Turkish War of Independence. After that, he became one of the people disrupting the national unity in the Speech by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. When the War of Independence was successful, he was fled and banished. He returned from exile to Turkey in 1946. Dated 1955, after nine years of his return from exile. Extremely rare.

Lingue: Turkish, Ottoman (1500-1928)