“The most beautiful of charitable acts are the ones that constantly renew themselves.”
Let me tell you a little bit about Ghazi Husrev-Beg.
He earned the title of ghazi or hero, which was given to outstanding Turkish soldiers/heroes for their military success and bravery. He arrived in Bosnia around 1521 and became governor. And—most importantly for this post—he later bequeathed his property and wealth and contributed the following to the city of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina:
- A magnificent mosque.
- A humanitarian public kitchen (imaret).
- A unique and exceptional school (madrasa)—where, in addition to religion, one could freely discuss philosophy, poetry, and ethics.
- A famous library, which houses one of the richest collections of Near Eastern writings.
- A hastahana (park) as a hospital.
- A water supply system that brought in water from a spring seven kilometers from Sarajejevo, channelling it into 40 public fountains (including a šadrvan)—which was one of the first water supply systems in Europe at that time.
- A Hamam for bathing and sweating, spaces for keeping up fire and heating of water, and floor heating by using warm air.
- A great meeting place of the rich merchant caravans (Sarajevo Tashlihan).
- A roofed over market that housed the widest variety of textiles.
- Numerous shops in which hundreds of skilled hands forged, sewed, did embroidery and traded.
All this in around a 20 year period between 1521 and when he died in 1541. These contributions continue to renew themselves and serve Bosnians to this day.
…It makes you wonder: what contributions might we (you) offer that have a renewing capability and can extend long after we pass, too?