Saints and Tombs of İstanbul

Devâtî Mustafa Efendi

Devâtî (Divitçi) Mustafa Efendi (d. 1070/1660) was a seventeenth-century Jelveti sheikh known by this epithet because he manufactured inkwells (divit). He completed his spiritual training under Muk'ad Ahmed Efendi at the Hüdâyî lodge in Üsküdar and, after receiving his licence, taught at various madrasas. In 1657 he converted the mosque of Arslan Ağazâde Mustafa Bey in Üsküdar into a lodge and began his guidance activity, dying about three years later. He left a work of mystical observations titled Tuhfetü's-sûfiyyîn, and his tomb stands in the courtyard cemetery of the mosque at Sultantepe.

Fenâî Ali Efendi

Fenâî (Fenâyî) Ali Efendi (d. 1158/1745) was a Jelveti sheikh born in Kütahya. He became a disciple of Selâmi Ali Efendi in Istanbul and for a time built a mosque and lodge in Manisa where he began his guidance. He joined the 1711 Pruth campaign as an army sheikh, and in 1714 settled in the lodge he founded at Pazarbaşı in Üsküdar, serving there for many years. He introduced certain modifications to the Jelveti litany; although the Fenâiyye branch is attributed to him it did not become an independent order. His tomb stands beside his lodge at Pazarbaşı, Üsküdar.

Fenâyî Cennet Mehmed Efendi

Fenâyî Cennet Mehmed Efendi (d. 1075/1664) was a seventeenth-century mystic poet of Jelveti disposition who used the pen name "Fenâyî" in his verse. Attached to the tradition of Aziz Mahmud Hüdâyî, he completed his Sufi formation and became known for his hymns and mystical utterances. His grave lies within the tomb-and-cemetery complex of the Hüdâyî lodge in Üsküdar. Although his name is sometimes confused with the contemporary Jelveti sheikh Fenâî Ali Efendi, the two are distinct figures.

Himmet Efendi (of Bolu)

Himmet Efendi (d. 1095/1684), born in Bolu, was a mystic of Bayrami-Shamsi origin regarded as the founder (pîr) of the Himmetiyye branch. Having studied the religious sciences in Istanbul and served as a professor, he turned to Sufism and became a disciple of Hacı Ahmed Efendi of Bolu. He preached at the Davud Paşa Mosque in Üsküdar and for a long period at the Kasımpaşa Mosque, becoming known for his distinctive method of dhikr. He died on 3 February 1684 and was first buried at the tomb of Bezcizâde Muhyiddin Efendi in Divitçiler, Üsküdar; his grave was later relocated to the courtyard cemetery of the Küçük Selimiye Mosque.

Hâşim Baba (Bandırmalızâde Mustafa Hâşim Efendi)

Bandırmalızâde Seyyid Mustafa Hâşim Efendi, known as Hâşim Baba (d. 1197/1783), was born in 1718 in Üsküdar as the son of the Jelveti sheikh Yûsuf Nizâmeddin Efendi. Raised in Jelveti discipline, he later established contact with Bektashi circles and became the head of his father's lodge in İnâdiye. After his death his followers formed the Hâşimiyye branch of the Jelvetiyye in his name. His tomb lies in the cemetery of the Bandırmalızâde (Hâşimî) lodge at İnâdiye, Üsküdar, and was relocated to a new spot within the same property during a road adjustment.

Karaca Ahmet Sultan

Karaca Ahmet Sultan is a semi-legendary saint of the Khorasan dervishes (abdalân-ı Rûm) tradition, held to have been active in the fourteenth-century Islamization of Anatolia. No fixed date of death is recorded in the sources, and traditional accounts link him to the era of Orhan Gazi. Numerous tombs and stations (makam) are attributed to him, and scholarly debate continues over his identity and true burial place between Üsküdar and Manisa/Akhisar; in this respect the Üsküdar site is largely regarded as a station (makam). The extensive Karacaahmet Cemetery in Üsküdar is named after this saint, and his tomb possesses a deep-rooted tradition of visitation.

Zâkirzâde Abdullah Efendi

Zâkirzâde Abdullah Efendi (d. 1067/1657) was a Jelveti sheikh known by this epithet as the son of Osman Efendi, the chief chanter (zâkirbaşı) of Aziz Mahmud Hüdâyî. After serving as a deputy in Manisa he returned to Istanbul, holding the sheikhship of the Zeyrek and Kasım Çelebi lodges and preaching at the Kılıç Ali Paşa and Fatih mosques. Renowned mystics such as Atpazarî Osman Fazlı were among his disciples. He died in 1657 and was buried near the Miskinler lodge in the Karacaahmet Cemetery of Üsküdar.

Divitçizâde Mehmed Tâlib Efendi

Divitçizâde Mehmed Tâlib Efendi (d. 1090/1679) was the son of the Üsküdar Jelveti sheikh Devâtî Mustafa Efendi. Leaving the scholarly path, he received his licence from Fidancı Şeyh Mehmed Efendi and, upon his father's death in 1660, became sheikh of the lodge at Bülbülderesi. For a time he also served as head of the Aziz Mahmud Hüdâyî lodge. He left works including Mecâlis, a Ta'bîr-nâme, a Dîvân-ı İlâhiyât and a commentary on the Qasîda al-Burda; on his death he was buried beside his father in the courtyard cemetery of the Şeyh Devâtî Mosque.

Ka'b al-Ahbar

Ka'b al-Ahbar was a prominent successor (tabi'i) of Yemeni origin, renowned for his mastery of the sciences of the People of the Book, who embraced Islam during the caliphate of Umar. He holds an important place in early Islamic scholarship for his transmissions of Isra'iliyyat and exegetical material. Most sources record that his actual grave is in Homs (and by one account in Bab al-Saghir, Damascus). The station attributed to him in the Toklu Dede graveyard in Ayvansaray, Istanbul, is a symbolic pilgrimage site whose status as an actual grave is historically disputed. It was preserved in the Ottoman period as part of the culture of visiting the companion-stations along the city walls. It is therefore recorded here as a maqam whose grave-identity is contested.

Abu al-Darda (Uwaymir ibn Zayd al-Khazraji)

Abu al-Darda was a distinguished companion of the Khazraj tribe, renowned for his wisdom and asceticism. During the caliphate of Uthman he served as the first judge (kadı) of Damascus and, because he taught the Qur'an to its people, was called "the Qur'an teacher of Damascus." According to TDV sources his actual grave is in the Bab al-Saghir cemetery in Damascus; stations attributed to him also exist in Üsküdar and Konya Ereğli. The station on Zal Paşa Avenue in Eyüp, Istanbul, is a symbolic pilgrimage site repaired under Mahmud II (with an inscription dated 1251/1835). It is therefore recorded here as a maqam whose grave-identity is contested, with the actual burial in Damascus. It should not be confused with the separate Abu al-Darda tomb in Bartın.

Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari

Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari is known as one of the long-lived companions and a prolific transmitter of hadith. According to TDV sources he died and was buried in Medina. The station attributed to him inside the Atik Mustafa Pasha (Hazreti Câbir) Mosque in Ayvansaray, Istanbul, is a symbolic site belonging to the Ottoman culture of visitation; sources are divided over whose station it is (Jabir ibn Abdullah or Jabir ibn Samura). The tradition that he took part in the sieges of Constantinople rests largely on Ottoman popular lore. It is therefore recorded here as a maqam of contested grave-identity, with the actual burial in Medina. The separate station at Düğmeciler in Eyüp belongs to his son Jabir ibn Muhammad al-Ansari and should not be confused with it.

Abdullah Nidai al-Kashghari

Abdullah Nidai al-Kashghari came to Istanbul from Kashgar in East Turkestan and became one of the leading sheikhs of the Naqshbandi order. Writing Sufi poetry under the pen name "Nidai," he gathered a wide following through his learning and spiritual guidance. He carried out guidance for many years at the Kashgari Lodge named after him in Nişanca, Eyüp. He died in 1174/1760 and was buried in his tomb in the cemetery of that lodge. His tomb stands in the same complex as the grave of the lodge's founder, Yekçeşm Ahmed Murtaza Efendi, and is visited to this day.

Yekcesm Ahmed Murtaza Efendi

Yekcesm Ahmed Murtaza Efendi was a representative of the Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi path and a khalifa of Ahmed Yekdest Curyani. Although he held various posts in state service, his true identity lay in his Sufi guidance. He founded the lodge in Nişanca, Eyüp that bears his name and ensured its continuation as the Kashgari Lodge. He died in 1160/1747 and was buried in the cemetery of the lodge he had founded. His grave lies in the same complex as the tomb of the lodge's first resident sheikh, Abdullah al-Kashghari.

Sertarikzade Mehmed Emin Efendi

Sertarikzade Mehmed Emin Efendi was born in 1098/1687 and became one of the leading sheikhs of the Cerrahi branch of the Halveti order. As a guide who continued the path of Nureddin Cerrahi, he was so influential in the order's development that he came to be called its "second pir." He carried out spiritual guidance at the Sertarikzade Lodge named after him in Nişanca, Eyüp. He died in 1173/1761 and was buried in his tomb in the cemetery of that lodge. His tomb is among the visited sheikhs' graves of Eyüp today.

Sheikh Muhammad Murad al-Bukhari

Sheikh Muhammad Murad al-Bukhari was born in Samarkand in 1050/1640 into a sayyid family. He is the principal figure who carried the Mujaddidi branch of the Naqshbandi order into Ottoman lands, having received it from the khalifas of Muhammad Ma'sum, son of Imam Rabbani. After long travels he settled in Istanbul and carried out guidance at his lodge in Nişanca, Eyüp. He died in 1132/1720 and was buried in his tomb in Eyüp. His tomb should not be confused with the Murad Molla Lodge in Çarşamba.

La'lizade Abdulbaki Efendi

La'lizade Abdulbaki Efendi was born in 1090/1679 and became a leading representative of the Bayrami-Melami tradition in Istanbul. He held posts in the scholarly (ilmiye) class while also defending the intellectual heritage of Melamism through his Sufi works. His work "Sergüzeşt" is regarded as an important source of Melami thought. He died in 1159/1746 and was buried in his open-air tomb near the Kalenderhane in Eyüp. He should not be confused with his father La'li Mehmed Efendi (buried in Famagusta).

Abd al-Majid Sivasi

Abd al-Majid Sivasi was born in Zile in 971/1563 and became the pir of the Sivasiyye branch of the Semsiyye line of the Halveti order. Coming to Istanbul, he became influential in the scholarly and guidance circles of his time and was known for his sermons and writings. He stood out especially as the foremost scholar who defended Sufism against the anti-Sufi views of the Kadizadeli movement. He died in 1049/1639 and was buried in his tomb in Eyüp. His tomb was built over his grave by Kösem Valide Sultan and is visited to this day.

Jamal al-Din Ushshaqi

Jamal al-Din Ushshaqi was born in Edirne and became known as the pir of the Cemaliyye branch of the Ushshaqiyye line of the Halveti order. He came to Istanbul in 1155/1742 and began his guidance activity, soon gathering a wide following. He served as sheikh at the Cemalizade (Savaklar) Lodge near Eğrikapı. He died in 1164/1751 and was buried in his tomb in the cemetery of that lodge. The site of the lodge lies on the Eğrikapı line at the boundary between Eyüp and Fatih (outside/inside the land walls); while sources support Eyüp, in modern administrative classification it may be attached to Fatih.

Hizir Bey (Hizir Bey Çelebi)

Hizir Bey was born around 810/1407 in Sivrihisar near Eskişehir, the son of the kadı Celâleddin Efendi. He taught in Sivrihisar, Bursa and at the Üç Şerefeli Mosque Medrese in Edirne, and was called "the second Ibn Sina" for his mastery of theology and logic. Immediately after the conquest of Istanbul in 1453, Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror appointed him the new capital's first kadı (chief judge). Because he regulated municipal, security and urban-development affairs as well as the judiciary, he is also remembered as Istanbul's first "mayor." He left works on kalam, most famously the "Kaside-i Nuniyye," and raised scholarly sons such as Sinan Paşa and Ahmed Paşa. He died in Rebiulevvel 863 (January 1459) and was buried in the cemetery in the Vefa-Zeyrek quarter.

Shaykh al-Islam Mehmed Refik Efendi

Shaykh al-Islam Mehmed Refik Efendi was born in 1814 in the town of Rogatica in Bosnia and received his ilmiye (scholarly) education in Istanbul. After serving as a müderris and in various judgeships, he rose to the highest rank of the scholarly hierarchy. He held the office of Şeyhülislam (Grand Mufti) of the Ottoman State between 1866 and 1868. Known for his depth in jurisprudence, he authored "Nukulü'l-Fetava'l-Feyziyye." When he died in 1288/1871 he became the first person buried in the Fatih Mosque cemetery after it was converted from a garden into a hazire. At his funeral Ahmed Cevdet Paşa is reported to have said, "Today we are burying here a treasury of fiqh."

Jamal al-Khalwati (Chelebi Khalifa)

Jamal al-Khalwati, known as Chelebi Khalifa (d. 899/1494); his birthplace is disputed in the sources (Amasya or Aksaray). A disciple of Muhammad Baha al-Din al-Arzinjani, he founded the Jamaliyya branch of the Khalwatiyya and, as the order's first great representative in Istanbul under Bayezid II, headed the Koca Mustafa Pasha lodge. He died near Tabuk in 899/1494 while travelling to Mecca for the hajj; the TDV encyclopedia does not firmly specify his grave, and since he is held to have been buried where he died, his Istanbul lodge counts as a maqam and no coordinates are given. (Sources: TDV 'Jamal al-Khalwati'; TDV 'Khalwatiyya'.)

Musa Topbas Efendi

Musa Topbas Efendi (1917-1999), born in Kadınhanı, Konya, a Naqshbandi-Halidi sheikh and a leader of the Erenköy community. He studied the Qur'an under Elmalili Hamdi Yazir and pioneered many charitable and publishing institutions including the Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Foundation. He died in Istanbul in 1999 and was buried in the family plot at Sahrayicedid Cemetery, Kadıköy (no person-specific independent coords → unpinned). (Sources: TDV; İslam ve İhsan.)

Ebussuud Efendi

Ebussuud Efendi (1490-1574), the most celebrated Ottoman Şeyhülislâm of the era of Süleyman the Magnificent, a Hanafi jurist and exegete who held office for about twenty-eight years and harmonized sharia with state law. Author of the commentary 'İrşadü'l-akli's-selim,' he is buried beside the madrasa he founded near the Eyüp Sultan Mosque. (Sources: TDV; Wikidata.)

Abu Shayba al-Khudri

Abu Shayba al-Khudri, a Companion whom early sources record as having died before the walls of Constantinople; per Dr. Mehmet Efendioğlu, one of only two Istanbul Companion graves with a genuine historical basis. A maqam attributed to him stands in the Toklu Dede and Companions cemetery in Ayvansaray; the physical presence of his body is uncertain (maqam). (Sources: İstanbul Ansiklopedisi; Kültür Envanteri.)

Ismail Rumi

Ismail Rumi, pir of the Rumiyye branch of the Qadiriyya order; after founding some forty-eight lodges across Egypt, Anatolia and the Balkans, he came to Istanbul in 1611 and established the Kadirihane Asitane in Tophane. He died in 1631 and was buried in the courtyard cemetery of his lodge. (Sources: TDV 'İsmâil Rûmî'; 'Kādirîhâne Tekkesi'.)

Mehmed Emin Tokadi

Born in Tokat in 1664-65, Mehmed Emin Tokadi was a leading Naqshbandi scholar and Sufi who served as sheikh of the Emir Buhari Lodge in Ayvansaray. He died in Istanbul in 1745 and was buried in the cemetery of the Piri Pasha (Soğukkuyu) Mosque in Zeyrek. (Sources: TDV; TEİS.)

Murad Molla

Born in Istanbul in 1788, Sheikh Haci Mehmed Murad Efendi led the Murad Molla Naqshbandi Lodge in Çarşamba and founded the Darulmesnevi (Mesnevihane) Lodge where he taught the Mathnawi. He died in 1847 and was buried in the Murad Molla complex in Çarşamba. (Sources: TDV; TEİS.)

Nureddin Cerrahi

Nureddin Cerrahi (1678-1720/21), pir of the Cerrahiyye branch of the Halvetiyye order, guided disciples at the lodge built for him in Karagümrük by Sultan Ahmed III around 1703. He died in 1720-21 and was buried in the tomb of his lodge in Karagümrük. (Sources: TDV.)

Ibrahim Ummi Sinan

Ibrahim Ummi Sinan, pir of the Sinaniyye branch of the Halvetiyye order, a leading Sufi and poet of 16th-century Istanbul. He died in 1568 and was buried in the tomb of the Ummi Sinan Lodge in Düğmeciler, Eyüp. (Sources: TDV 'Ümmî Sinan Tekkesi'; 'Sinâniyye'.)

Hafiz Osman

Born in Istanbul in 1642, Hafiz Osman was one of the greatest masters of the six scripts of Islamic calligraphy, renewing the school of Sheikh Hamdullah. He died in 1698 and was buried in the cemetery of the Sünbül Efendi Lodge in Kocamustafapaşa. (Sources: TDV; Wikipedia.)

Molla Gürâni (Ahmad al-Kurani)

Molla Gürâni (Ahmad al-Kurani), a leading Ottoman scholar who studied hadith under Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani in Cairo and in 1443 became tutor to the future Mehmed II. Appointed mufti of Istanbul in 1480, he died in 1488 and was buried in the hazire of his mosque in the Fındıkzade/Aksaray area. (Sources: TDV; Wikipedia.)

Ibn Kemal (Kemalpaşazade)

Ibn Kemal (Kemalpaşazade), a leading Ottoman scholar, historian and Şeyhülislâm from 1526 until his death. He died in Istanbul in 1534 and was buried at the Mahmud Çelebi lodge cemetery outside Edirnekapı; his tomb was demolished and relocated to an unknown site during the 1971 Golden Horn ring-road construction (hence unpinned). (Sources: TDV; Wikidata.)

Zenbilli Ali Cemali Efendi

Zenbilli Ali Cemali Efendi, an Ottoman jurist who served as Şeyhülislâm for about 24 years under three sultans; he earned the epithet 'Zenbilli' (basket-bearer) for lowering a basket from his window to collect the public's fatwa questions. He died in 1526 and is buried in the courtyard of his mosque in Zeyrek. (Sources: TDV.)

Sunbul Sinan Efendi

Sunbul Sinan Efendi (Yusuf Sinaneddin), pir of the Sünbüliyye branch of the Halveti order; a disciple of Cemal-i Halveti, he became head sheikh of the Koca Mustafa Pasha lodge. He died in 1529 and is buried in his tomb at Kocamustafapaşa. (Sources: TDV.)

Mehmed the Conqueror

The Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II (the Conqueror) ended the Byzantine Empire by conquering Constantinople in 1453 and was venerated as a saintly ruler for his patronage of scholars and Sufis. He died in 1481 and is buried in his tomb within the Fatih Mosque complex. (Sources: TDV; Wikidata.)

Sultan Bayezid II

The Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II was known as 'Veli' (the Saint) for his piety and closeness to scholars and Sufis. He died in 1512 and was buried in the tomb on the qibla side of the Bayezid Mosque he had built. (Sources: TDV; Wikipedia.)

Nasuhi Mehmed Efendi

An Üsküdar mystic, founder of the Nasûhiyye sub-branch of the Şâbâniyye line of the Halvetiyye order (d. 1130/1718). Born in Toygartepesi, his lodge in Doğancılar was completed in 1688. He was buried in the cemetery of his lodge on Tunusbağı, and his tomb is a notable Üsküdar pilgrimage site. (Sources: TDV.)

Selami Ali Efendi

An Üsküdar mystic of the Celvetiyye order (d. 1103/1692). He had three lodges built in Üsküdar; he was buried at the last of them in Kısıklı. Today only the tomb and its cemetery survive. (Sources: TDV; TEİS.)

Hayreddin Barbarossa

A ghazi mariner born on Lesbos who became the greatest Kapudan Pasha (Grand Admiral) of the Ottoman Empire; appointed navy commander in 1533, he won the decisive Battle of Preveza in 1538 and consolidated Ottoman dominance in the Mediterranean. He died in Istanbul in 1546 and was buried in his Beşiktaş tomb, built by Mimar Sinan in 1541. (Sources: TDV.)

Sheikh Galib Dede

Born in Istanbul in 1757, one of the greatest Divan poets of Turkish literature and a Mevlevi mystic; his 'Hüsn ü Aşk' is the pinnacle of the Indian style. Appointed sheikh of the Galata Mevlevihane in 1791, he died in 1799 aged forty-two and was buried in the courtyard of the Galata Mevlevihane. (Sources: TDV.)

Elmalili Muhammed Hamdi Yazir

Elmalili Muhammed Hamdi Yazir (1878-1942), born in Elmalı, Antalya, one of the foremost Qur'anic exegetes of the late Ottoman and early Republican era. His twelve-volume Turkish commentary 'Hak Dini Kur'an Dili' is a standard reference. He died in Erenköy in 1942 and was buried in Sahrayicedid Cemetery, Kadıköy. (Sources: TDV; Wikipedia.)

Mahmud Baba (Qadiri)

Mahmud Baba, a Qadiri Sufi who lived in Kadıköy under Sultan Abdülmecid. He long served as administrator of the Osmanağa Mosque and later guided disciples at a lodge built for him by the Sultan. He died around 1850; his tomb in Hasanpaşa, Kadıköy, near the old Kuşdili Meadow, is still visited. (Sources: Kültür Envanteri; Gazete Kadıköy.)

Merkez Efendi (Musa Muslihuddin)

Whose real name was Mûsâ and whose epithet was Merkez Muslihuddîn, Merkez Efendi was a major Sufi belonging to the Sünbüliyye branch of the Halvetiyye order. He was born in the village of Sarı Mahmudlu near Denizli; after completing his studies he entered the Sufi path and became a disciple of Sünbül Sinan Efendi, sheikh of the Koca Mustafa Paşa lodge, from whom he received his diploma (hilâfet). After serving as a guide at the hospice of the Hafsa Sultan complex in Manisa and elsewhere, he was appointed head of the Koca Mustafa Paşa lodge in Istanbul following his master Sünbül Efendi's death in 936 (1529). He died in 959 (1552) and was buried beside his lodge outside Mevlânâkapı; his tomb is one of Istanbul's important pilgrimage sites and gave its name to the district of Merkezefendi.

Yahya Efendi of Besiktas

Shaykh Yahya b. Umar al-Bashiktashi

A scholar and mystic, foster-brother of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, known for his lodge in Beşiktaş. He was renowned for his depth in knowledge, medicine and Sufism. He died in Istanbul in 1571; his tomb is in Beşiktaş.

Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi

Mahmud b. Fadlullah al-Uskudari

Patron of the Celvetiyye order and one of the most influential Ottoman mystics. He abandoned the posts of judge and professor to become a disciple of Üftade and founded his lodge in Üsküdar. He instructed sultans and died in Üsküdar in 1628.

Abu Ayyub al-Ansari

Khalid b. Zayd b. Kulayb al-Ansari

A prominent Companion of the Ansar who hosted the Prophet in his house in Medina after the migration. In old age he joined the siege of Constantinople and died near the city walls (c. 669). His grave, identified after the conquest, became the centre of the Eyüp Sultan complex.