Changes After Construction
The Sufi Lodge began to operate under the Naqshbandiyya; it was affiliated with the Qadiriyya in the mid-17th century, passed again to the Naqshbandiyya in the late 18th century, and changed hands between these two orders more than once in the 19th century.
The masjid-tawhidkhana was renewed in the second half of the 19th century; its walls were rebuilt in brick and it was covered with a wooden roof.
After the closure of Sufi lodges and zawiyas in 1925, the building was abandoned; the masjid-tawhidkhana was demolished by the municipality in 1933.
After 1933, the remaining wooden structures were used for sheltering purposes until recent times.
In the 1982 survey, the simple courtyard gate on Horhor Avenue, the wall remains of the masjid-tawhidkhana, and two wooden structures were recorded; these units were identified as the selamlık/cells and the harem apartment.
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It is also known as Horhor Sufi Lodge; the name Hindular (Indians) Sufi Lodge was also used.
The Sufi Lodge stood beside the Horhor fountains and was counted among the structures that defined the identity of the district.
The Sufi Lodge was founded by Mehmed the Conqueror at the request of Hâce İshak Buhârî-i Hindî, and its expenses were covered by the sultan’s waqf.
The masjid-tawhidkhana has a square plan measuring approximately 9.00 × 9.00 m; the mihrab was described as being placed diagonally in the wall in order to align with the qibla direction.
The Sufi Lodge became a center that accommodated travellers and dervishes arriving from India; it was also regarded as an important focal point in Ottoman-Indian relations in the Ottoman capital.
