Ferhad Pasha Sokolović

Ferhad Pasha Sokolović (Turkish: Sokollu Ferhad Paşa, Bosnian: Ferhad-paša Sokolović) (died 1586) was an Ottoman general and statesman from Bosnia. He was the first beylerbey of Bosnia.

Born into the Sokolović family, he was, like his close relative[a] Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha (Mehmed-pasha Sokolović) abducted as part of the devşirme system of collection of Christian boys to be raised to serve in the janissary corps, Islamized and recruited into Ottoman service. While one part of the family became Islamized, the other stayed Orthodox; notably, another relative (possibly Mehmed's brother), Makarije Sokolović, was appointed as the Serbian Patriarch by Mehmed Pasha, who with the support of the Sultan had revived the Patriarchate of Peć.

Ferhad Pasha was governor of the Sanjak of Klis between 1566 and 1574.

Ferhat Pasha Mosque was destroyed in the city of Banja Luka during the Bosnian War (1992-95).

Then he moved back to Bosnia, and was one of the founding fathers of Banja Luka, the second largest city in modern Bosnia and Herzegovina. There, he built over 200 buildings ranging from artisan and sales shops to wheat warehouses, baths and mosques. Among more important commissions were the Ferhadija and Arnaudija mosques during which construction a plumbing infrastructure was laid that served surrounding residential areas. He moved the seat of Bosnia from Travnik to Banja Luka.

In 1576–77, he conquered the towns of Mutnica, Ostrožac, Podzvizd, Kladuša, Peći, and other towns to the Kupa. Already by springtime 1577, he settled Serb families from Bosnia around reconstructed towns in those areas.

In 1580, he became the first governor of the Bosnia Eyalet, as beylerbey (also referred to as "pasha"). The Bosnia Eyalet (or Pashaluk) comprised a total of ten sanjaks: Sanjak of Bosnia (central province), Sanjak of Herzegovina, Sanjak of Vučitrn, Sanjak of Prizren, Sanjak of Klis, Sanjak of Krka, Sanjak of Pojega and Sanjak of Pakrac. The sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Pakrac was Ali-beg, brother of Ferhad Pasha Sokolović.

Ferhad Pasha Sokolović with 10,000 soldiers organized three major assaults and tried to take Gvozdansko Castle in the Kingdom of Croatia in the Habsburg Monarchy. Finally, when the Ottomans entered the castle gates, all the defending forces were already dead of wounds, hunger and cold. The Siege of Gvozdansko ended with an Ottoman victory on 13 January 1578. Ferhat Pasha was so moved by their bravery that they were conceded a Christian burial and the local population freed from taxes.