The Turkish statesman and reformer Mustapha Reschid Pasha was the Turkish Ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1836–7 and 1838–9. He is commemorated with a blue plaque at 1 Bryanston Square in Marylebone, where he stayed for four and a half months in 1839.

AMBASSADOR IN LONDON

Mustapha Reschid Pasha (also spelt Mustafa Reşid Pasha) was born in Constantinople (now Istanbul). He entered public service at an early age, and served as Ambassador to France in Paris – a post he later held twice more – before travelling to England in 1836. His stay in London was mostly spent at 1 Sussex Place in Regent’s Park, but by April 1839 he and the Turkish Embassy had moved to 1 Bryanston Square, a magnificent five-storey stuccoed house built in 1811 to designs by Joseph Parkinson. He stayed here for the next four and a half months, and the house continued as the embassy until the late 19th century.

Reschid’s diplomatic work was directed towards improving relations between Britain and Turkey. He succeeded in creating strong ties with the British Government, but failed to secure the aim of his second mission, which was to form an alliance between the two countries.

LATER CAREER

After returning to his homeland in August 1839, Reschid held the office of Grand Vizier six times between 1845 and 1857, and is regarded as one of his country’s most outstanding statesmen. His most notable reform was the comprehensive remodelling of Turkish administration and legislature, the Tanzimat, which brought about an end to slavery in the Ottoman Empire and enshrined the principle of equality in the constitution.

Reschid died of a heart attack on 7 January 1858 in Constantinople. His London plaque was unveiled in 1972 by the Turkish Ambassador, Zeki Kuneralp, who had originally proposed Reschid for commemoration.