Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ancient buildings, one of which, the Şehzade tabhane, we have
already described. The other is the library of Damat Şehit Ali Paşa,
built early in the eighteenth century. The founder, Ali Paşa, was called
Damat (son-in-law) because he married Fatma Sultan, daughter of
Ahmet III, and Şehit
(martyr) because he was killed in the battle of
Peterwaredin in 1716. Fatma did not grieve long for Ali, for a few
weeks after she heard of his death she married Nevşehirli Ibrahim
Paşa, whose külliye we have just seen down the street. Ali Paşa's library
is raised on a high substructure and approached by a long flight of
steps; it consists of only two rooms, the larger of which is domed. It
is not in use at present.
MEDRESE OF EKMEKÇİZADE AHMET PAŞA
At the next corner we turn left on Kovacılar Caddesi and immediately
on our right we see another ancient Ottoman building. This is the
handsome medrese built some time before his death in 1618 by
Ekmekçizade Ahmet Paşa, son of an Edirne baker, who rose to the
rank of Defterdar (First Lord of the Treasury) and Vezir, and died one
of the richest men in the Empire. Until a few years ago the medrese
was a ruin, inhabited by gypsies, but now it has been partially
restored. Those who like variations on a theme will be pleased to note
some anomalies: the right side of the court is occupied by the usual
dershane, next to which, however, is a türbe of the same size, making
the courtyard a bit lopsided. Both still preserve remnants of a rather
good painted decoration in domes and pendentives, a rich red with
deep green meander patterns. Even in its half-restored condition this
is an interesting monument and well worth a visit.
PRIMARY SCHOOL OF RECAİ MEHMET EFENDİ
We continue in the same direction along Kovacılar Caddesi past
the next intersection and on our left we see a half-ruined Ottoman
building. This is the sibyan mektebi, or primary school, of Recai
Mehmet Efendi, First Lord of the Treasury and Keeper of the Seal
under Abdül Hamit I. The upper floor is built of alternate courses
of brick and stone, but the entire ground floor is sheathed in an
elaborately decorated marble casing. In the centre is the projecting
Search WWH ::
Custom Search