Hüsamettin Uşşaki Sufi Lodge

Audio Narration:

Construction Year:

1575

Location:

Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Ordered By:

Hasan Hüsâmeddin Uşşâkî

Architect:

Unknown

Changes After Construction:
  • The Sufi Lodge was founded by Hasan Hüsâmeddin Uşşâkî in the last quarter of the 16th century; Murad III supported its establishment.
  • In the foundation period, the house in Kasımpaşa was used with the function of a Sufi Lodge; after the death of the founder, his son Sheikh Mustafa Efendi expanded the scope of the waqf.
  • In the mid-18th century, during the sheikhdom of Ahmed Hüsâmî Efendi, the ruined house-Sufi Lodge was demolished and rebuilt.
  • In Hijri 1266 (1850), the Sufi Lodge was revived anew; in Hijri 1310 (1892-1893), it was renewed and survived in this form until 1925.
  • In 1925, the Sufi Lodge function came to an end; in 1927, it was adapted for use as a girls’ school and the tawhidkhana was converted into a dining hall.
  • In 1960, the semahana and the harem and selamlık sections were demolished; a primary school was built on the site of the Sufi Lodge.
  • In 1982, the tomb section and the main gate were repaired and have survived to the present day.
Prominent Features:
  • The Sufi Lodge was also known as Uşşâkî Âsitânesi, Perşembe Sufi Lodge, and Şimşirli Sufi Lodge.
  • As the âsitâne and “pir house” of the Khalwatiyya-Ushshaqiyya order, it became one of the central structures in Istanbul’s network of Sufi lodges.
  • The rituals were performed on Thursdays; the Sufi Lodge functioned as a strong center in terms of Sufi music.
  • Before 1925, the final architectural program consisted of the tawhidkhana, two tombs, a graveyard, selamlık and harem sections, a kitchen, and a shadirvan.
  • What has essentially survived to the present day is the tomb section and the main gate; a primary school currently stands on the site of the Sufi Lodge.