Akbaba Canfeda Hatun Mosque
Audio Narration
Construction Year:
16th century (Estimated)
Location:
Beykoz, İstanbul
Ordered by:
Canfeda Hatun (An important palace official in the Imperial Harem)
Architect:
Although it is not known for sure, it is claimed that the bathhouse near the mosque is the work of Mimar Sinan. According to some sources, the fountain in the courtyard was also designed by Mimar Sinan.
- Changes after its construction
- In 1826, with the abolition of the Janissary Corps, the mosque and the Bektashi dervish lodge ceased their activities.
- In the 19th century, the mosque and lodge were reopened by the Naqshbandi sheikh Abdülhakim Efendi.
- In 1925, with the closure of the lodges, the management of the mosque changed but it continued to be used as a place of worship.
- During World War II, the mosque was used as an ammunition depot.
- The restoration work that started in 2013 has been completed and the mosque has been opened for worship.
- Prominent Features
- It is a single-storey, domed building made of masonry (stone and brick).
- The fact that it was a mosque where Friday prayers could be performed shows that it was one of the important centers of worship of the period.
- There is a graveyard in the mosque courtyard, where the graves of Abdülhakim Arvasi and his family are located.
- There are two fountains near the mosque, one of which has an inscription bearing the Basmala (Muslim invocation meaning “In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Gracious”) in Latin letters, dated 1947.
- The construction of the Bektashi lodge and mosque was financed through a foundation. With the abolition of the Janissary Corps in 1826, the lodge was closed and the mosque was also affected by this process.
- It is mentioned among the works of Mimar Sinan in the Istanbul Culture and Art Encyclopedia, but this claim is not definitive.