Mustafa Azmi Ömer Akalın's life and his works (1858-1940)

This biographical study focuses on Mustafa Azmi Ömer Akalın, an influential figure who lived during the final years of the Ottoman Empire and the early period of the Turkish Republic. The research examines his life story, family background, educational and political career, and literary contributions. Mustafa Azmi was born in 1858 in Narda (present-day Albania, then within the borders of Greece), the first child of Kosovo deputy Ömer Şevki Pasha and Afife Hanım. He had four younger siblings: one sister (Macide Hanım) and three brothers (Besim Ömer Pasha, Agâh Ömer, and Kemal Ömer). He completed his secondary education at the Rüşdiye School in Priština, Kosovo, and his high school studies at Galatasaray Sultani. After graduating from the Mekteb-i Mülkiye in 1883, he began working as a clerk in the Directorate of Rüşdiye Schools under the Ministry of Education. He held several prominent positions in the field of education, including significant roles at Galatasaray Sultani. However, following a complaint accusing him of preparing a dynamite-laced envelope to assassinate Sultan Abdulhamid II, his home was raided and he was arrested. After being found innocent, he was released in 1897 and later appointed as the Director of Education in Konya. On February 15, 1900, he was awarded the Order of Osmani, Third Class. Due to his services, he was elected as the deputy of Preveza to the Ottoman Parliament in October 1908. In 1909, he was appointed governor of the Hüdavendigar (Bursa) Province, but his term ended following the rise of the Freedom and Accord Party. He retired in 1914. Mustafa Azmi Ömer passed away in Istanbul on January 15, 1940, at the age of 82. He left behind several significant works. His lesserknown Hanım Kitabı provides valuable insights into the role of women in society, while Su, co-authored with his brother, the renowned doctor Besim Ömer Pasha, serves as an important source on the characteristics of water and the water systems of Istanbul. This biography draws upon Ottoman archival documents, contemporary newspapers and journals, and relevant secondary literature.