The last surviving heir of the House of Osman, the royal dynasty that once ruled the Ottoman Empire, has died at age 90 in Syria.
Prince Dundar Abdulkerim Osmanoglu lost his life at a hospital on Monday in the Syrian capital Damascus, where he had been receiving treatment, his family said in a statement.
"My uncle Dundar had serious health problems and he was living in Damascus amid a war environment," said Prince Abdulhamid Kayihan Osmanoglu.
Dundar Abdulkerim Osmanoglu has passed away. As the oldest living member of the Ottoman royal family, he gave interesting interview here for the Irish Times.https://t.co/jcT5Q4iLfo
— Ryan Gingeras (@nords41) January 18, 2021
"We were trying hard to get him to Turkey, but unfortunately we could not."
Prince Dundar Abdulkerim Osmanoglu
Osmanoglu was the grandson of Prince Mehmet Selim Efendi, son of Abdulhamid II, the legendary Ottoman sultan credited with prolonging the survival of the Ottoman Empire, reports Daily Sabah.
He lived by himself in his birth-city Damascus after his parents were expelled from Turkey when the caliphate was abolished in 1924, according to Daily Sabah.
Last heir of Ottoman Empire dynasty Prince Dundar Abdulkerim Osmanoglu dies at 90 https://t.co/OtGVMX7KQq
— Ahmed™ (@ahmedhasaan) January 19, 2021
Harun Osmanoglu, 88, will now be the new head of the Ottoman family.
The Ottoman Empire ruled vast territories for six centuries, before it was replaced by the Republic of Turkey.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
