Süleymaniye Medical Madrasa

Audio Narration:

Construction Year:

1548-1557

Location:

Fatih, İstanbul

Ordered By:

Suleiman the Magnificent

Architect:

Mimar Sinan

Changes After Construction:
  • It has been stated that the last document showing that it was used in its original function is dated 1852–1853; after this date, it is stated to have been abandoned for a period.
  • In December 1918, it was used to shelter fire victims.
  • It has been stated that, in 1928, the madrasa unit was intended to be leased out by the Permanent Council of the Istanbul Province.
  • It is recorded that it underwent a thorough restoration in 1944–1945 and that, from 1946 onward, it was used for a long time as a maternity hospital / maternity and child care home.
  • It has been stated that, during the process of conversion into a hospital in 1946, the plan scheme as well as many original details were substantially altered; for this reason, restitution attempts concerning the building’s original state are considered controversial.
  • Today, it is stated to be used within the scope of the Süleymaniye Manuscript Library.
Prominent Features:
  • It is a specialized unit for medical education within the Süleymaniye Complex; in the Ottoman period, it stands out as an example of a separate medical madrasa on this scale.
  • According to the endowment deed, its staff consisted of one mudarris, one mu’id, eight danishmends, one noktacı, one bevvab, and one ferrash.
  • In the layout of the complex, the Medical Madrasa and the dar al-shifa were positioned opposite each other; it is stated that the dar al-shifa functioned as a practice/training hospital for the medical madrasa.
  • It is stated that it was designed on the west side of the mosque, to the north of the Sani Madrasa, as a row of rooms; it is thought that there were porticoes in front of the rooms.
  • It is recorded that beneath the structure there was a row of vaulted shops, gained from the slope of the terrain and known as the “Tiryaki Bazaar.”
  • It has been suggested that the existence of a Dar al-Akakir (drug storehouse) unit is known; moreover, the large garden in the rear section may have been related to the cultivation of medicinal plants.