Hadım Hasan Paşa Madrasa

Audio Narration:

Construction Year:

1595

Location:

Fatih, İstanbul

Ordered By:

Chief Vizier Hadım Hasan Paşa

Architect:

Unknown

Changes After Construction:
  • An inscription was placed at the entrance of the structure during the repair in the reign of Mahmud II; the inscription also includes the date 1596–1597 (H. 1005) for its foundation.
  • After the fire of 2 August 1826, the structure was repaired in 1831–1832 (H. 1247).
  • The fire of 1865 and the subsequent road-regulation works led to the expropriation and demolition of part of the structure.
  • The report dated 2 September 1914 records the structure as being in a ruined condition and gives the number of cells as eight.
  • The record dated 19 December 1918 states that the madrasa was occupied by fire victims.
  • The sebil and the tomb disappeared over time; the structure was neglected for a long period, and its original arrangement was disrupted by interventions.
  • Restoration was carried out in 2009–2011; the structure was arranged for use as the administrative center of a private foundation.
Prominent Features:
  • It is also known as Hasan Pasha Madrasa and Hadım Ağa Hasan Pasha Madrasa.
  • It was established within a small-scale complex arrangement consisting of a masjid, madrasa, fountain, and sebil.
  • As a rare feature, it is an elevated two-storey madrasa, and there are shops beneath it.
  • It is located at the tip of a “V”-shaped block between two roads; its cut-stone mass underwent heavy destruction and alteration over time.
  • Next to the entrance there is a pointed-arched fountain without an inscription; the tughra of Mahmud II is located above the fountain arch.
  • Some studies raise the possibility of Davud Agha as the architect; the sources do not give a definite name for the architect.