Merkezefendi Mosque

Audio Narration

Construction Year:

1514 (Masjid), 1552-1572 (Mosque)

Location:

Zeytinburnu, İstanbul

Ordered by:

Shah Sultan (Sister of Suleiman the Magnificent)

Architect:

Mimar Sinan (Reconstruction)

- Changes after its construction
  • It was extensively rebuilt by Mimar Sinan between 1552 and 1572.
  • Renovated during the reign of Mahmud II (1837), and the inscription regarding this renovation was written by Yesarizade Mustafa Izzet Effendi.
  • It took its current form after the restorations by the Zeytinburnu Municipality in 1965 and 2010-2013.
- Prominent Features
  • It is a mosque made of stone, with a square plan, a wooden roof, and a single-balcony minaret.
  • In the section of the hermitage that Merkez Effendi used for worship and seclusion, a 30 square meter structure with a small door and narrow windows was positioned over the well.
  • Today, the Harem building is used as the headquarters of the Union of Turkish World Municipalities.
  • In addition to his Sufi identity, Merkez Efendi is also known among the public for making Mesir Macunu (Traditional Turkish sweet) from 41 spices for the treatment of Hafsa Sultan, the mother of Suleiman the Magnificent.