About Mustafa Naima
Lived 1655 – 1716 (aged 60–61). Mustafa Naima was a Turkish historian, astrologer and chronicler.
Mustafa Naima (; Muṣṭafā Na'īmā; 1655 – 1716) was an Ottoman bureaucrat and historian who wrote the chronicle known as the Tārīḫ-i Na'īmā (Naima's History). He is often considered to be the first official historian of the Ottoman Empire, although this formal office was probably not created until the time of his successor, Rashid.
Life and career Mustafā Na'īm was born the son of a Janissary in Aleppo, Ottoman Syria. He joined the palace guard in Constantinople and was educated as a secretary there. He rose in the financial administration of the empire until the palace intrigues caused him to be sent to a provincial administrative post in 1715.
As a historian Naima mentions the arrival of Mughal ambassadors: Qaim Beg, Sayyid Ataullah and Hajji Ahmad Saeed, sent by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. The ambassadors lodged in the Seraglio of Saiwush Pasha.
He died in Patras.
Works Na'īmā's main work is the Ravżatu'l-Ḥüseyn fī ḫulāṣati aḫbāri'l-ḫāfiḳeyn (روضة الحسين فى خلاصة أخبار الخافقين in Ottoman; literally: "The Garden of Hüseyin in the Summary of the Chronicles of East and West"). This work was finished in 1704 and dedicated to the vizier Amcazade Hüseyin Paşa. The book covers the events of the years from 1591 to 1660.
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Important facts
People in Mustafa Naima's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Mustafa Naima's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Mustafa Naima?
Ottoman historian and poet
When was Mustafa Naima born?
Mustafa Naima was born in 1655 in Aleppo.
When did Mustafa Naima die?
Mustafa Naima died in 1716 in Patras.
What was Mustafa Naima's occupation?
Mustafa Naima was a historian, astrologer and chronicler.
What nationality was Mustafa Naima?
Mustafa Naima was Turkish.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Mustafa Naima. https://biography.guide/mustafa-naima/
MLA: "Mustafa Naima." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/mustafa-naima/.
Chicago: "Mustafa Naima." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/mustafa-naima/.
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