In a world where the past often fades into silent ruins, sometimes a single piece of paper gilded with gold and inked with dreams can revive the story of centuries of old. Thanks to the care of the Baban family, such a treasure has survived: a 122-year-old Ottoman document, a golden decree addressed to Grand Prince Babanzade Abdulmajid Pasha.
Preserved through generations, this document is a living testimony of a prestigious past, a story stitched into the fabric of Kurdistan’s heritage.
Time may erase faces and voices, but monuments, document, and memories seem to travel through time—not in with a Hollywood-style time machine, but by enduring through the centuries. Historical documents carry within them the weight of civilizations and legacies connecting the past with the present and future alike. By documenting the life, thoughts, experiences, and achievements of people who walked the earth before us, they offer a window into their world and spectacles through which their hopes, ambitions, and spirit can be revisited.
A mockup of the historic document
The man, the prince, the governor
In the case of Abdulmajid Pasha – a man whose life straddled the tumultuous shifts of the 19th and early 20th centuries – his legacy has been preserved not only in the city he helped to shape but in the words gifted to him by Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II himself.
Born in 1840 in Sulaymaniyah, Abdulmajid Pasha hailed from a prestigious lineage as the grandson of Ibrahim Pasha, Sulaymaniyah’s founder. His life was marked by exile, return, leadership, and dedication to his people. Exiled to Kut in Iraq as a child alongside his father in 1847, he witnessed the collapse of the Baban principality in 1860, only to return and serve the Kurdish heartland.
By 1880, he had become the governor of Koysinjaq. Later, in 1886, he made Kifri his home, a city that would become inseparable from his name. While Abdulmajid Pasha died in Baghdad in 1905 and was laid to rest at the A’zamiya cemetery, in Kifri, his presence dominates through his legacy.
Prince Babanzade Mohammed Fateh Bay
Rebuilding Kifri
Abdulmajid Pasha was not just a ruler; he was a dreamer, and more importantly, a dreamer who believed in the beauty of his dreams and manifested them in reality. His commitment to the future of Kifri translated into major projects that would leave a lasting mark on the city and its surrounding region, including:
— Construction of the railway station, a key link intended to connect Istanbul to Mecca and facilitate the Hajj pilgrimage.
— Development of extensive irrigation systems bringing water to surrounding villages, supporting agriculture and ensuring prosperity for generations.
— Construction of a grand palace known as the King’s Ear, a symbol of the city’s growing importance.
— Establishment of a public bath called the King’s Bath, built to improve hygiene and strengthen community life.
— Founding of a monastery as a space for reflection, learning, and religious gathering.
— Erection of the King’s House, a royal residence that reflected the architectural beauty of the time.
— Creation of Taqalti, also known as Chokhmaka Kifri, a unique and historical building that remains a symbol of Kifri’s heritage.
Through these projects, Abdulmajid Pasha offered Kifri a fresh life, turning it into a beacon of culture, infrastructure, and coexistence in Kurdistan.
A portrait of Grand Prince Babanzade Abdulmajid Pasha (1840-1905)
The Ottoman sultan’s decree
It was Abdulmajid Pasha’s contribution to the railway project that caught the attention of Sultan Abdul Hamid II. In the Sultan’s grand dream of connecting Istanbul to Mecca by rail, Abdulmajid Pasha offered his wealth and determined effort to help fund the precious project. Recognizing this remarkable act of generosity, Sultan Abdul Hamid II decided to honor him.
On February 13, 1903, he commissioned a royal decree through a document. The text conveyed deep gratitude, awarding Abdulmajid Pasha the “Sultan’s Medal of Purity” for his contribution to the construction of the Hajj railway.
The decree was one of only two sent to Kurdish rulers at the time. The other was sent to Mustafa Pasha Bajalan, who also held an extraordinary position similar to that of the Baban family.
Grand Prince Babanzade Abdulmajid Pasha
The decree reads as follows:
“Ghazi Ali Maqam, Hazrat Abdul Hamid Khan, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, has decided to award the Sultan’s Medal of Purity to Grand Prince Babanzade Abdulmajid Pasha for purchasing nickel for the construction of the railway between Istanbul and Mecca Sanjaq Salahiya to Mecca and Medina, and this will be a good cause for performing the obligatory Hajj.”
The decree was written in the Ottoman tughra script. A tughra is a calligraphic monogram, seal or signature of a sultan that was affixed to all official documents and correspondence. It was written using gold ink on semi-thick paper. The tughra script is one of the most popular types of Turkish script and was used only in the court of the Ottoman Sultan to write important decrees.
Eski Kifri Train Station
Guardians of the document
The golden decree remained safeguarded within the Baban family across turbulent years. It was passed from Abdulmajid Pasha to his eldest son Jamil Beg, then to Mohammad Jamil Beg, and today is carefully protected by Grand Prince Babanzade Mohammed Fateh Bay.
“I view this document as a national treasure,” Mir Mohammad tells Kurdistan Chronicle. “Like all our family’s books, documents, and archives, I am determined to preserve it for the sake of history and scholars.”
His dream extends beyond private preservation, as he envisions a day when the National Documents House will open in Kurdistan, offering a permanent home for these invaluable relics of Kurdish memory. He adds: “If such an institution is founded, I will proudly donate our entire family archive to serve researchers, historians, and our people.”
Eski Kifri Train Station
A city in memory
Kifri itself stands as an extension of Abdulmajid Pasha’s legacy. Once a cultural destination in the Garmian region, the city was a vibrant political and intellectual center during the 20th century. Its diverse population reflected the spirit of coexistence that Abdulmajid Pasha championed through infrastructure, agriculture, and community development.
Today, the memories of the pasha are alive on every corridor, pathway, corner, and old building in the city. As visitors walk through Kifri’s streets, see the water channels that feed its fields, admire the design of the old stone baths, gaze at the traces of grand palaces, they cannot help but sense the presence of a leader who cared deeply about his city’s future and, more importantly, its citizens.
And somewhere, behind safe glass and careful hands, lies a letter written in gold, a testimony to a man whose work was so profound that even an Ottoman Sultan paused to bow his head in gratitude.
The bridge between the past, present, and future
In a fast-changing world, where new replaces old at lightning speed, the preservation of historical documents like this Ottoman decree tells us that, for Abdulmajid Pasha’s family and many others, roots matter. The document shows how ancestors’ struggles, their contributions, and their visions build bridges between the family’s past, present, and future.
The story of Grand Prince Babanzade Abdulmajid Pasha is of commitment, of service and dedication, and of a heritage strong enough to travel through time gilded in honor, sealed by history, alive and still beating in the heart of Kurdistan.
Grand Prince Babanzade Abdulmajid Pasha
Clarification:
In the print edition of our recent issue, this article was published with a set of photos that were not accurately related to the content of the story. We sincerely apologize to our esteemed readers for this oversight.
The online version of the article has been updated with the correct visuals that reflect the historical context and integrity of the piece.
We remain firmly committed to the ethics of journalism and to professional, accurate storytelling—especially when presenting content related to history and heritage.
Fatima Qasim Habib is a journalist, writer, translator, artist, poet, and art designer who has organized numerous art exhibitions in both the Kurdistan Region and international locations.
