Kadirihane Sufi Lodge

Audio Narration:

Construction Year:

1630

Location:

Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Ordered By:

Hacı Pîrî

Architect:

Unknown

Changes After Construction:
  • Hacı Pîrî founded the Sufi Lodge for Sheikh İsmâil Rûmî, the pir of the Rumiyya branch of the Qadiriyya.
  • Topçubaşı İsmâil Ağa had a fountain built beside the main gate in 1731-1732 (Hijri 1144).
  • A second fountain was added inside the Sufi Lodge in 1763-1764 (Hijri 1177).
  • In 1765 (Hijri 1179), the Tophane fire destroyed the Sufi Lodge; Mustafa III had it rebuilt.
  • In 1823 (Hijri 1239), the Tophane fire again ruined the building complex; Mahmud II revived the Sufi Lodge.
  • Abdülhamid II had a new kitchen and a large dining hall unit added in 1894-1895 (Hijri 1312); he also had the other parts of the Sufi Lodge repaired and the harem-selamlık sections renewed.
  • In 1925, the Sufi Lodge function came to an end; the mosque-tawhidkhana was used only as a mosque, while the last Postnishin (post-holder), İsmail Gavsî Efendi (Erkmenkul), continued to live in the harem section with his family.
  • In the Republican period, the kitchen-dining hall wing disappeared; the remaining sections were repaired by the General Directorate of Foundations.
  • The fire in 1997 ruined the mosque-tawhidkhana and selamlık sections.
Prominent Features:
  • The Sufi Lodge stands on Kadirîler (Qadiris) Slope and remained affiliated with the Rumiyya branch of the Qadiriyya from its foundation until 1925.
  • The Sufi Lodge functioned as an âsitâne within the Qadiriyya network in Istanbul and exercised influence over Qadiri Sufi lodges in different parts of the empire.
  • The revival inscription above the main gate dated 1894-1895 (Hijri 1312) bears the tughra of Abdülhamid II.
  • The Saliha Sultan Fountain beside the main gate became one of the distinctive elements of the Sufi Lodge with its decoration continuing the Tulip Period style.
  • Artists such as Kazasker Mustafa İzzet Efendi emerged from among the members of the Sufi Lodge.