“Sultan’ül evtad” what does that even mean? It means the trusted advisor. We are standing in Yakupabdal Mahallesi. It is a village connected to Çankaya. Çankaya is a district of Ankara.
Yakupabdal’s story begins with a man named Yakub Abdal. He was an Ottoman dervish. Some called him Derviş Sinan. Yakub Abdal established a zaviye here. A zaviye is like a tekke or dergah. It was a place for travelers to find food and shelter. Rich and poor alike were welcomed. He offered tasawwuf lessons. Tasawwuf sought to guide people.
Yakup Abdal arrived in the early Ottoman period. He was one of the first gazi-dervishes in Ankara. Over time Yakup Abdal’s name was confused with others. There was a Baba Yakup in Polatlı. There was also a Yakup Derviş in Kazan. A Yakup Hasan resided in Çubuk.
Let’s look at the Arabic inscription on Yakup Abdal’s tomb. It says this building was made for Derviş Sinan. He was also known as Sultan’ül evtad Yakup Abdal. The inscription dates to Muharrem 1077 or 1666. Another inscription was added in Turkish. It mistakenly says Yakup Derviş Sinan built this mosque for his son.
The title Sultan’ül evtad shows Yakup Abdal’s influence. He was a trusted person of sultans and emirs. He was their advisor. The inscription does not mention who built the structure.
In 1571 GÜl Dede was appointed to Yakup Abdal’s zaviye. GÜl Dede was from Çubuk. He was responsible for irşad activities. We don’t know much about Yakup Abdal’s life.
The annual tithe of Yakub Abdal Zaviyesi went to Ankara Mevlevihanesi. The Ankara Mevlevihanesi was in the courtyard of Cenabi Ahmed Paşa Camii. It was demolished about 70 or 80 years ago. Luckily we have photos of it.
The tomb was once inside Yakupabdal’s central mosque. Now the tomb is in the mosque’s courtyard. Many people visit it. People come to Yakup Abdal’s tomb to pray. They seek blessings. Yakup Abdal founded this village.
In 2023 Yakupabdal had a population of 3889. Yakupabdal Mahallesi is worth seeing. It has its history, tomb, mosque and fountains.