Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The türbe is sumptuously decorated, though with work largely of the
baroque period.
Of the other buildings of the külliye the medrese, which according
to Evliya formed the courtyard of the mosque, was evidently swept
away when the latter was rebuilt; the imaret is a ruin. But of the
hamam the soğukluk and hararet still remain and are in use; they have
the elaborate and attractive dome structure typical of the early period,
and handsome marble floors. The original camekân has completely
disappeared and been replaced by a rather make-shift one largely of
wood. In the Victoria and Albert Museum there is a very fine panel
of 24 Iznik tiles of about 1570 from this hamam, very probably from
the demolished camekân.
THE KÜLLİYE OF MİHRİŞAH SULTAN
Leaving Eyüp Camii by the north gate, one finds oneself in a narrow
street that leads down to the Golden Horn. Most of the left side of this
street is occupied by the enormous külliye built in 1794 by Mihrişah
Valide Sultan, mother of Selim III. This is one of the largest and most
elaborate of all the baroque complexes and includes the türbe of the
foundress together with a mektep, an imaret, and a splendid sebil
and çeşmes. The türbe is round, but the façade undulates turning it
into a polygon, the various faces being separated by slender columns
of red or dark grey marble; in general it recalls the türbe of Nakşidil
at Fatih, though it is not quite so flamboyant. The entrance is in a
little courtyard filled with tombstones and trees, along one side of
which runs the columned portico of the mektep or primary school.
Farther along the street another monumental gateway leads into the
vast courtyard with more and tombstones and surrounded on three
sides by the porticoes of the huge imaret or public kitchen. This is
one of the very few imarets in Istanbul which still fulfil their function
as food kitchens for the poor of the district; some 500 people are
served daily at 11 o'clock with food to take away. In leaving you
should notice the magnificent sebil at the end of the garden wall on
the street side.
Continuing towards the water, one passes on the right the türbe
and on the left the library of Hüsref Paşa, dated 1839 and both in
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