Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
or public kitchen, of the külliye. The imaret is enormous, as well
it might be, for it had to supply food not only for the poor of the
district but for the several thousand people directly dependent on
the Süleymaniye: the clergy of the mosque, the teachers and students
of the medreses, and the travellers staying at the kervansaray. The
courtyard itself is charming with its ancient plane trees and young
palms and a lovely fountain in the centre. A few objects from the
imaret remain, including an olive press and an enormous stone
wheel for grinding grain. The imaret now houses the Darüzziyafe, an
excellent restaurant specializing in Ottoman cuisine.
THE KERVANSARAY
Next beyond the imaret is the kervansaray, now closed to the public.
The kervansaray included a kitchen, a bakery, an olive press, sleeping
quarters for travellers, stables for their horses and camels, and storage
rooms for their belongings. According to ancient Turkish tradition, all
accredited travellers were given free food and shelter at this and other
kervansarays upon their arrival in the city. Evliya Çelebi reports on the
hospitality given at these kervansarays in his day: “The kervansaray is
a most splendid establishment where all travellers receive twice a day
a bowl of rice, a dish of barley soup and bread, every night a candle,
and for each horse provender, but the gift to travellers is only for
three days.”
This, then, is the great külliye of the Süleymaniye. Surely there can
be in the world few, if any, civic and religious centres to compare with
it in extent, in grandeur of conception, in ingenuity of design, or in
the harmony of its parts.
SİNAN'S TÜRBE
Before we take leave of the Süleymaniye, we might stop for a moment
at the tomb of the architect, which stands in a little triangular garden
at the north-western corner of the complex. Sinan lived on this site
for many years and when he died he was buried in his garden, in a
türbe which he had designed and built himself. Fom the apex of the
triangle radiate the garden walls, enclosing the open marble türbe. An
arcade with six ogive arches supports a marble roof which has a tiny
Search WWH ::
Custom Search