Beneath the dome, a story unfolds. This is the story of the Fenai Ali Efendi Camii. It is a testament to faith and resilience.
Let’s step back to 1714. The Fenai Ali Efendi Camii was first built then. Kütahyalı Seyyid Ali Efendi founded it. He was also known as Şeyh Seyyid Ali Efendi. He established a new Celveti Dergah here.
Ali Efendi was first the postnişin of this Dergah. He remained in this position for 32 years. After his death, he was buried in his special tomb. It is in the mosque’s courtyard.
Fenai Ali Efendi had a connection to Selami Ali Efendi. After this connection, he went to Manisa. There, he had a mosque, a tekke and a well built. The well is still called Şeyh Kuyusu.
After Şeyhi Selami Ali Efendi died in 1692, Şeyh Ali Efendi returned to Üsküdar. He became the Şeyh of Selami Tekkesi. Later, he left this tekke. He then built this mosque. This helped establish a new Celveti Dergah.
The Fenai Ali Efendi Camii faced difficult times. In 1767, lightning struck its minaret. It was severely damaged. Mehmed Emin Efendi ensured its reconstruction. Zeynep Hanım also contributed significantly. She was the daughter of Kavalalı Mehmed Ali Paşa. The Fenai Ali Efendi Camii reopened in 1876.
Another restoration took place in 1996. This time, Hacı Süleyman Bilir initiated it. The community also contributed. The mosque has a single minaret with one balcony. Important tombs are in its garden. Visitors are very interested in these tombs. The Fenai Ali Efendi Camii is also known as Yaldızlı Tekke Camii.
The mosque’s walls consist of rubble stone and brick. Their upper sections are carefully plastered. Marseille-style tiles cover the roof. The Fenai Ali Efendi Camii has two doors. A rectangular shaped sofa is before the doors. Fenâî Ali Efendi’s grave is in the tomb here.
Seyyid Ali Efendi was the first sheikh of the Celveti Tekkesi. Mehmed Şakir Efendi was the last sheikh. Back then, the prayer days were on Wednesdays. Born in Kütahya, Ali Efendi used Fenai as his pen name. He needed this pen name because he wrote many poems.
Fenai Ali Efendi made changes to the Celveti crown. He increased the number of segments to nineteen. This matched the number of letters in the Besmele. The top of the crown is orange. The other parts are green. A branch of the Celvetiyye is named Fenaiyye after him.
Fenai Ali Efendi also accompanied Baltacı Mehmed Pasha on the Prut expedition in 1711 as “ordu şeyhi”. After his death, his banner was placed on his coffin. The flag given to him was erected at his head.
The Fenai Ali Efendi Camii stands as a symbol. It embodies faith, poetry and community. The tombs in the courtyard whisper stories. They echo through time. They remind us of the individuals who shaped this sacred space. The Fenai Ali Efendi Camii is more than just a building. It represents a spiritual journey through history.