Özbekler Sufi Lodge

audio narration:

construction year:

1753

location:

Üsküdar, İstanbul

ordered By:

Abdullah Pasha

architect:

Unknown

Changes After Construction:
  • In 1757-58 (Hijri 1171), the lodge was endowed to the Naqshbandiyya order by its first postnişin, Şeyh Seyyid Hacı Abdullah Efendi; a minbar was installed in the masjid-tevhidhane.
  • Between 1757 and 1774, the lodge was enlarged by the postnişin Şeyh Seyyid Abdülekber Efendi of Samarkand.
  • In 1844, Sultan Abdülmecid had the lodge rebuilt in its present form.
  • In 1849, a fountain was built together with a water reservoir; in 1872, these units were repaired.
  • During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, wooden rooms were built on the northern side of the property for those who took refuge in the lodge; these rooms were removed in the 1950s.
  • In 1893, during the reign of Abdülhamid II, the building underwent another repair.
  • After the closure of the dervish lodges in 1925, residence continued in the selamlık, harem, and dervish cells; on blessed days and nights, dhikr gatherings and sohbet meetings were held.
  • After 1971, the structure, which had deteriorated through neglect, underwent repairs between 1983 and 1994.
Prominent Features:
  • It was also known by the names El-Hac Sufi Hoca Lodge, Hacı Hoca Sufi Lodge, and Kalenderhane.
  • The lodge is a Naqshbandi lodge established in Sultantepe to provide shelter for traveler dervishes coming from Central Asia.
  • Within the Naqshbandiyya, it was associated with a branch that bears traces of the Yasavi tradition and adopted vocal dhikr.
  • The structure has been preserved with its original architecture and furnishings; it is stated that members of the sheikh’s family lived in the selamlık section.
  • During the Turkish War of Independence, the lodge was used for a time as a hospital for wounded members of the Kuva-yi Milliye; it became one of the first stops in the passage to Anatolia.