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'' ` ahmet tevfik pasha '' ' alaeddin pasha 1328 80px the ottoman empire ahmet tevfik pasha 1 november 1922 120px grand vizier the sultan sadrazamlik-nisanlari . svg bab-ı ali ahmed tevfik pasha chair.jpg list of ottoman grand viziers
 '' ` seal of the grand vizier '' ' his highness
list of ottoman grand viziers

the grand vizier of the ottoman empire -lrb- or `` sadr-ı azam '' -lrb- `` sadrazam '' -rrb- ; ottoman turkish : صدر اعظم or وزیر اعظم -rrb- was the `` de facto '' prime minister of the sultan in the ottoman empire , with absolute power of attorney and , in principle , dismissible only by the sultan himself in the classical period , before the tanzimat reforms , or until the 1908 revolution .
he held the imperial seal and could convene all other viziers to attend to affairs of the state in the imperial council ; the viziers in conference were called '' `` kubbe '' viziers '' in reference to their meeting place , the `` kubbealtı '' -lrb- ` under the dome ' -rrb- in topkapı palace .
his offices were located at the sublime porte .
during the nascent phases of the ottoman state , `` vizier '' was the only title used .
the first of these ottoman viziers who was titled `` grand vizier '' was Çandarlı kara halil hayreddin pasha -lrb- also known as Çandarlı halil pasha the elder -rrb- .
the purpose in instituting the title `` grand vizier '' was to distinguish the holder of the sultan 's seal from other viziers .
the initially more frequently used title of `` vezir-i âzam '' was gradually replaced by `` sadrazam '' , both meaning grand vizier in practice .
throughout ottoman history , the grand viziers have also been termed `` sadr-ı âlî '' -lrb- ` high vizier ' -rrb- , `` vekil-i mutlak '' -lrb- ` absolute attorney ' -rrb- , `` sâhib-i devlet '' -lrb- ` holder of the state ' -rrb- , `` serdar-ı ekrem , serdar-ı azam '' and `` zât-ı âsafî '' -lrb- ` vizieral person ' -rrb- and `` başnazır '' , literally `` prime minister '' in ottoman turkish .
in the late periods of the ottoman empire , especially during and after the 19th century , the grand vizier began to hold a position almost identical to that of a prime minister in other european states .
reforms seen during and after the tanzimat -lrb- 1838 -rrb- , the first constitutional era -lrb- 1876 -- 1878 -rrb- , and the second constitutional era -lrb- 1908 -- 1920 -rrb- further brought the office of the grand vizier in line with the european standard , making the incumbent the head of a cabinet of other ministers .
during the two constitutional eras , the grand vizier also served as the speaker of the senate , the upper house of the bicameral ottoman parliament .
