Mehmed - beg Zaim “Karađoz-beg” Karađoz

Mehmed-beg Zaim Karađoz, son of Ebu-Seadet, known by the nickname Karađoz-beg, was a Bosniak nobleman and vakif from Herzegovina. He was born in Potoci near Mostar. He is known as a great, probably the greatest, benefactor and patron in the history of Mostar and Herzegovina. He left behind an extremely large number of endowments, the most famous of which is his mosque in Mostar. Karađoz-bey is the brother of Grand Vizier Rustem Pasha Opuković. During Karađoz-bey's administration, the construction of the Old Bridge in Mostar began, and he was in charge of supervising the works. Karađoz-beg built his most famous endowment in Mostar in 1557 - a mosque under a dome and a mekteb next to it - then a madrasa, a library, an imaret and a musafirhana. In addition to these endowments, he also built a mosque in Potoci, two schools in Konjic and Potoci, four bridges: in Konjic, on Buna and two on Lištica in Široki Brijeg, and one inn each in Mostar, Konjic, Čičevo near Konjic and Potoci. A hammam in Blagaj, a small stone bridge near the mosque in Potoci, and a fountain and fountain next to the Karađoz-bey mosque in Mostar were later built from the funds of this foundation. He died in 1564 in Mostar, and was buried in the harem next to his mosque.