Kesikbaş Hüseyin Ağa Tomb
About the Person:
- Hüseyin Ağa, also known as ‘Sonisalı Kapı Ağası’, served under Sultan Bayezid II in the Amasya province. After Bayezid ascended the throne, Hüseyin Ağa moved to Istanbul. Although there is limited historical information about his life, he is remembered for his charitable works in Sonisa and Amasya.
- One of his notable contributions was converting the Church of Little Hagia Sophia into a mosque and building the Çardaklı Bathhouse next to it.
- He was accused of tax evasion and subsequently ordered to be executed by Sultan Bayezid II. According to legend, after being beheaded in the courtyard of the Little Hagia Sophia Mosque by the imperial guards, he carried his head under his arm for a while before falling at a spot where his tomb was later built. This incident earned him the nickname ‘Kesikbaş’ (Severed Head).
About the Tomb:
Construction Year: 1510
Ordered by: Unknown
Architect: Unknown
Prominent Features:
- The tomb is built in a classical Ottoman style with an octagonal plan.
- Constructed using alternating rows of bricks and rubble stones, with each wall consisting of two rows of bricks and one row of stones.
- Each side features pointed arch windows.
- A horn-shaped finial sits atop the wooden roof.
- Inside, there are two sarcophagi side by side: one belongs to Hüseyin Ağa, the other to Kamil Efendi. There is also a third sarcophagus whose identity remains unknown.
