Nureddin Cerrahi Sufi Lodge

audio narration:

construction year:

1703

location:

Fatih, İstanbul

ordered by:

Sultan Ahmed III

architect:

Unknown

Changes After Construction:
  • In 1766-67 (Hijri 1180), the lodge was rebuilt by Grand Vizier Muhsinzade Mehmed Pasha while preserving its former layout.
  • The lodge, which was destroyed in the Balat fire of 1782, was rebuilt by Galata Voyvoda Seyyid Halil Efendi; the renewal was completed in 1786 (Hijri 1200).
  • Mahmud II had the lodge rebuilt on a broader scale in 1818-19 (Hijri 1234); he had it rebuilt for a second time in 1835-36, and the plot was expanded eastward, where a harem section was added.
  • In 1844, Sultan Abdülmecid had repairs carried out and commissioned a fountain; in 1857-58 (Hijri 1274), the tevhidhane-tomb and the women’s gallery were partially renewed, while the dervish cells were demolished and rebuilt.
  • During the reign of Abdülhamid II, the lodge underwent repair again in 1882-83 (Hijri 1300); in 1893, the roof of the tevhidhane-tomb was overhauled, its paint was renewed, and the harem section was given its present form.
  • In 1909, certain repairs were carried out in the tevhidhane-tomb.
  • After the closure of the dervish lodges in 1925, the tevhidhane-tomb remained unused for a time; in 1945, the walls were rebuilt in masonry, some window arches were converted into pointed arches, and the roof was rebuilt.
Prominent Features:
  • It is the asitane and pir seat of the Jerrahi branch of the Khalwati order.
  • The tevhidhane and the tomb are gathered within the same mass under a single roof.
  • In the tomb are many wooden sarcophagi, foremost among them the sarcophagus of the pir Nureddin Jerrahi.
  • On the street façade of the tomb is the “niyaz window”; in the cartouche above it are the name of Nureddin Jerrahi and an inscription dated 1797.
  • Within the complex, the tevhidhane-tomb and the harem form the main mass; behind them, the arrangement of the sherbethane and the fountain courtyard can be traced.