Agâh EFENDI 1832-1885

He was a member of the Genç Osmanlı Cemiyeti (Young Ottoman Society), who was trained in the Tercüme Odası (The Chamber of Translation), and he were an Ottoman statesman and intellectual who also worked as a journalist.

He was born in 1832 in the Sorgun district of Yozgat. He was educated at the Mekteb-i Tibbiye (School of Medicine) in İstanbul. After his medical education, he started to work as a clerk in Bâb-ı Âli (the Ottoman Porte) due to his very good command of French. Later, he also learned English and Italian. Due to these achievements in the language, he was included among the translators of the Chamber of Translation. Between 1852 and 1854, he served as the Secretary of the Embassy in Paris, and in 1855 he served as the chief translator of the Rumelian Army and a member of the Divan-ı Muhasebat (Council of Accounts).

In 1860, together with Şinasi, he published the newspaper Tercüman-ı Ahvâl. In 1861 he was appointed Minister of Post.

In 1862, he was given the task of Director of the Fevâid-i Osmaniye Ferries Administration, and at the end of the same year, he issued the first Turkish postage stamps. He established a strong postal organization in İstanbul. He continued this position until 1865.

Agâh Efendi was one of the first members of the Yeni Osmanlılar Cemiyeti (Society of New Ottomans) in 1865. He joined the Society of Young Ottomans and fled to Paris in 1866.

He worked for the newspaper Muhbir and Hürriyet. He returned to his country in 1871 and served as a lieutenant governor and a member of the Şûra-yı Devlet (Council of State).

However, he was exiled to Bursa in 1877 and then to Ankara because of his ideas. After serving as Lieutenant Governor of Rhodes and Mytilene, he was appointed as Ambassador to Athens in 1887. 

He died during this duty and was buried in the tomb of Mahmut II.