Ebu-l Vefa Tomb

Ebu-l Vefa, whose real name is Muslihiddin Mustafa bin Ahmed, is the sheikh of the Zeyniye Order.
Originally from Konya, he was captured by the Knights of Rhodes on his return from his expeditions to Egypt and Hejaz, and was saved by Karamanoğlu İbrahim Bey. After the conquest of Istanbul, he was invited to Istanbul by Mehmed the Conqueror.
He settled in the Vefa district and spread the Zeyniye order there. He was respected both by the public and the palace, and his mystical and scientific influence was permanent in the spiritual climate of Istanbul. Mosques, madrasahs and other structures were built in his name in Istanbul and Konya. According to the stories, he was known among the public as a person with “wilayat”.

Construction Year: 1491

Ordered by: Mehmed the Conqueror

Architect: Unknown

Prominent Features:

The tomb is located on the south side of the mosque, next to the gate opening to Vefa Street.
It has a square plan and measures 8.30 x 8.35 m.
It is built with a row of cut stone and three rows of bricks in an alternating bond system.
The wooden roof is covered with tiles.
It has a total of eight windows, two on each facade.
There is a two-line inscription written in Persian jeli thuluth script over the entrance gate. The inscription describes the death of Sheikh Vefa as “The lamp of the Kaaba of Secrets has passed”. The date of the inscription is AH 896 (AD 1491).
There are a total of five coffins in the tomb, including the one belonging to Sheikh Vefa.
In the cemetery surrounding the tomb are the graves of family members and relatives.
The tomb was later revived by figures such as Mahmud II, Sultan Abdulaziz and the philanthropist Hafiz Mustafa Efendi.