Süleymaniye Apprentices Madrasas

It has been determined that, in 1858–1859, a comprehensive repair was carried out in the Süleymaniye Complex not only in the mosque but also in the other structures of the complex.
In the survey–restitution–restoration studies, decisions were produced regarding the road level on the southwest facade where the main entrance of the Medrese-i Salis is located and the courtyard level between the madrasas.
In the restitution decisions, facade and opening interventions were defined, such as the reopening of some windows and the completion of wooden shutters and iron knobbed grilles.
Decisions on materials and details were specified, such as reapplying the original lead covering on the domes and vaults as lead cladding, renewing the floors in some cells with şeşhane (hexagonal) brick, and returning to wooden flooring in the seating section of the classroom.
In the Mülazimler section, decisions were defined such as treating the courtyard floor covering as küfeki stone paving, restituting the non-original entrance gate in a manner appropriate to its period, and removing the non-original fountain.
From the 2018–2019 academic year onward, the Mülazimler Madrasa and Medrese-i Salis units were evaluated for educational/academic use within the scope of the university campus.

The Salis and Rabi madrasas are positioned in stages on the east side of the mosque, on the sloping hillside overlooking the Golden Horn; the two structures are symmetrical and have nearly square plans.
The cells surround the porticoed courtyard on three sides except the west; the classroom on the west has entrances on both sides and an iwan on the east side.
It is stated that the entrances to the classroom are covered with vaults, while the other units are covered with domes; with the stepped arrangement of the domes, the structure creates a strong silhouette effect.
Because of the slope of the land, beneath both madrasas there is a lower-tier madrasa consisting of a single row of rooms facing a narrow courtyard; this lower-tier arrangement is known as the Mülazimler Madrasa.
Their entrances open onto Mimar Sinan Street; the classrooms were designed in a commanding position toward the Golden Horn above the courtyards.
It is stated that the four fiqh madrasas in Süleymaniye (Evvel, Sani, Salis, Rabi) were among the highest-level institutions in the Ottoman madrasa hierarchy; within this core, Islamic sciences and especially the teaching of fiqh were intended.
It is stated that each of these four madrasas had fifteen students and that the students were called “danishmends.”