Pazar Cami Şerifi

Envision a bustling marketplace. The air is thick with the scent of spices and the sound of bartering. This is the Ankara of the 17th century, and right here, amidst the lively chaos, stands Pazar Cami Şerifi. Pazar Cami Şerifi wasn’t always the serene place of worship you see today. It began as a humble mescid, known as Araba Pazarı Mescidi. Records reveal its modest beginnings, nestled within the Öksüzce neighborhood, a place synonymous with the Araba Pazarı, or Cart Market. Pazar Cami Şerifi’s story is intricately woven into the fabric of this marketplace. Imagine caravans arriving, laden with firewood brought in on the backs of camels. This was the Kağnı Pazarı, the last in a line of markets that stretched from the Ankara Castle down to Namazgâh. The mosque bore witness to the rhythm of daily life. It saw the horse market, the sheep market, and the hay market, all vibrant with activity. Pazar Cami Şerifi holds a unique place in Ankara’s history. Records from the Hurufat Registers document the mosque’s life from January 1711 to February 1793. These registers detail appointments of imams and other officials, offering glimpses into the people who shaped the mosque’s spiritual life. One particular entry from 1747-48 reveals a pivotal moment. Mermerzade Ahi İbrahim Ağa transformed the small mescid into the grander cami you see before you. He also commissioned a dershane (school) and a medrese (religious college) with ten cells, solidifying the mosque’s role as a center of learning. The mosque has undergone several renovations over the centuries. A later waqf deed from 1870 tells us that Azime Hanım, daughter of Seyyid Abdurrahman Efendi, renovated the mosque and added another medrese. Sadly, this medrese was later replaced by a house built by the Vakıflar Genel Müdürlüğü (General Directorate of Foundations). The minaret, a distinctive feature of Pazar Cami Şerifi, was added in 1965. Pazar Cami Şerifi, also known as Kağnıpazarı Camii, Kağnıcıoğlu Camii, Gani Ağa Camii, and Araba Pazarı Mescidi, has seen Ankara transform around it. The bustling marketplace may be gone, but the mosque remains, a quiet testament to centuries of history and faith.