Yakup Ağa Ottoman Primary School

Audio Narration:

Construction Year:

1678

Location:

Üsküdar, İstanbul

Ordered By:

Yakup Agha, the Agha of Palace

Architect:

Unknown

Changes After Construction:
  • The portico section fell into ruin over time; its decorated columns disappeared and the portico domes collapsed.
  • A minaret, a last congregation area, a preaching pulpit, and a minbar were added to the structure, and it was used as a masjid.
  • The structure was registered as a sıbyan mektebi in 1998, and it was decided to strip it of its additions and return it to its original state.
  • The structure was restored in 2008.
  • The structure is currently used as an association building.
Prominent Features:
  • The structure is also known as Kapıağası School.
  • With its school–fountain combination dated A.H. 1089 (1678), the structure was referred to as “Ak-yapı.”
  • The structure is in a fevkani arrangement; it is reached by a 12-step stone staircase above the fountain.
  • The structure has a square plan; it was built of finely cut stone and is covered with a single dome.
  • The thuluth inscription on the door jamb contains the hadith “Talebü’l-ilmi ferîzatün alâ külli müslimin ve müslimetin” (“Seeking knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim man and Muslim woman.”).
  • The structure forms a small building group within the fountain–library–school ensemble.
  • The cultural inventory record classifies the structure as an Ottoman-period sıbyan mektebi and gives its status as “accessible.”