Recall Sultan Selim’s daughter. She built this mosque. We are standing before the Merkezefendi Camii. It is a testament to faith and healing.
The Merkezefendi Camii is located in Istanbul’s Zeytinburnu district. The neighborhood and nearby cemetery share its name. Both honor Merkez Efendi. He was a revered Ottoman Islamic scholar and Sufi.
Merkez Efendi lived from 1463 to 1552. He is famous for creating Mesir macunu. It is a therapeutic paste. People believed it cured mental diseases. It also had many other benefits.
The Merkezefendi Camii’s story starts with Şeh Sultan. She was the daughter of Yavuz Sultan Selim. She commissioned the mosque for Şeyh Merkez Efendi. A green inscription above the courtyard gate notes renovations in 1514 and 1580. Sultan Mahmud II renovated it in 1837.
The Merkezefendi Camii complex includes more than just the mosque. There is also a tomb, a retreat, and cemeteries. You will also see the Abdülbaki Paşa Library. Other buildings include a bathhouse, a religious school, a mortuary, and offering sites.
Entering the Merkezefendi Camii courtyard reveals history. A small tomb on the left holds the sarcophagi of Merkez Efendi’s two grandsons. Opposite stands the Merkez Efendi Tomb. Four steps lead to the mosque’s outer entrance on the right. The Merkezefendi Camii’s floor and ceiling are wood. The inner entrance opens to a single large space. From the outer entrance, stairs ascend to the women’s section. It is on the upper floor to the right and left.
Merkez Efendi rests in his tomb within the garden. The tomb has a dome. It is open from 9 AM to 4 PM. It is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Inside, wooden panels surround the front section. They enclose the graves of Şeyh Hüseyin Efendi and others. Merkez Efendi’s sarcophagus is in the Baghdad-domed area. A panel by calligrapher Aziz Efendi stands before it.
Behind the tomb, a staircase leads to the retreat. It sits above a well. This small space has a single door and a speckled window. A narrow path encircles it. Red fish swim in the pool around the retreat. An eight-columned fountain with a wooden ceiling stands in front. Two locked wells surround it. Cemeteries surround all these sections.
The Merkezefendi Camii’s bathhouse is 200 meters away. An inscription above the inner door states Merkez Efendi washed here.
Before entering the courtyard, you will see the Abdülbaki Paşa religious school. It was once a children’s library. This domed stone building has a small garden. Paşa’s grave is within. Traffic restrictions allow medical festivals in this small square. A dilapidated three-story wooden building stands next to the library. New structures nearby house a Quranic school and student dormitories.
Legends connect Merkez Efendi to Süleyman the Magnificent. He was a veteran, physician, and scholar of religion and Sufism. Born in Denizli in 1463, he studied in Istanbul. He became a professor. Later, he joined Sünbül Efendi. He became a leader in the Halveti order. When Hafsa Valide Sultan fell ill, Merkez Efendi created Mesir macunu. This paste contained 41 spices. Hafsa Sultan recovered. She ordered its distribution. Every March 22nd, Merkez Efendi distributed Mesir macunu from the Sultan Mosque’s minarets. This tradition continues today. Every year on March 22nd, Manisa hosts the Mesir macunu festival.
The Merkezefendi Camii stands as a peaceful retreat. It honors a man of faith and healing.