Ümmi Sinan Sufi Lodge

Audio Narration:

Construction Year:

16th century

Location:

Eyüpsultan, İstanbul

Ordered By:

Sheikh Nasuh Efendi

Architect:

Unknown

Changes After Construction:
  • After the death of Ümmî Sinan, a tomb was built in front of the mihrab wall of the tevhidhane.
  • The tevhidhane-tomb building was renewed during the reign of Mahmud II (1826-1839) with its foundations preserved; a Sultan’s Chamber and a Sultan’s Lodge were added to the eastern side of the tevhidhane.
  • In the last quarter of the 19th century, all the buildings underwent a major repair with the help of Abdülhamid II and the members of the Sufi Lodge; the harem and selamlık sections were rebuilt.
  • After the closure of the Sufi lodges in 1925, the harem and selamlık sections were used as a residence by the family of the last Postnishin (post-holder); this use prevented the building from falling completely into ruin.
  • In 1980, the tevhidhane-tomb section was repaired; studies in Sufi music are carried out in the selamlık section.
  • The hünkâr pavilion, which is known to have stood on the opposite side of the street, has not survived to the present day.
Prominent Features:
  • The Sufi Lodge is accepted as a pir station because it contains the grave of İbrâhim Ümmî Sinan, the pir of the Sinaniyya branch of the Khalwatiyya order.
  • The main gate and the fountain are elements that have survived from the first construction period of the Sufi Lodge to the present day.
  • On the keystone of the fountain is a relief of the Seal of Solomon.
  • In the tomb, there are a total of twelve wooden sarcophagi, including those belonging to Nasuh Efendi and Ümmî Sinan.
  • In the building, Sinani crown symbolism appears in the ceiling medallions and in the miniature crowns at the corners of the wooden railings around the tomb.