An imperial firman of Sultan Mahmud I (r.1730-54), Turkey, Ottoman, dated 1149 AH/1736 AD

Arabic manuscript on paper, 6 lines to the page, written in jali divani script in black, green and red, surmounted by a large tughra in black, framed

"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The text of the present firman opens with Arabic prayers praising the Holy Ka’ba and the city of Mecca. It states that due to the death of Prince Sultan Ahmed Ibn Sultan Mehmed the post of firashat (sweeper of the Haram-i Sharif) is given to Bashir Agha. The firman also specifies the appointment of al-Hajj Bashir Agha as the supervising chief officer of the pious endowments of Mecca and Medina.

Al-Hajj Bashir Agha (d.1746)

Bashir Agha, a prominent and powerful noblemen in the Ottoman period, served as a Kizlar Agha or Agha Dar al-Saada in the Ottoman palace. He was appointed treasurer in 1705, and sent to Cyprus and Egypt in 1713. He was then sent to Mecca and appointed Shaykh al-Haram. He later returned to Istanbul and served as chief eunuch of the imperial Harem for twenty six years until his death in 1746. He was also a patron of art and architecture who built a complex in the Eyup district in Istanbul, a mosque in the Topkapi Palace, a madrasa and library in Medina and in 1718 a sabil-kuttab in Cairo. The Sabil-maktab and House of Bashir Agha Dar al-Saada are located in Sharia al-Habbaniya, next to the Madrasa of Sultan Mahmud.