“Saçlı Abdülkadir Efendi,” a name whispered through Istanbul’s historic lanes. The Saçlı Abdülkadir Efendi Cami stands near the Eyüp Sultan Camii. This mosque carries a legacy woven through generations.
This single-domed mosque reflects classic Ottoman architecture. But its story begins before its current form. Saçlı Abdülkadir Efendi built the original mosque in 1538. He built it over his father’s tomb. His father was Abdürrahim Efendi. He was the sheikh of the Sivasi Tekke.
That original mosque was not this building. It was a two-story structure to the right. The lower level housed the tomb. The upper level was for prayer. In 1957 the roof became dangerous. The structure was torn down. Only the foundations of the sarcophagi remain today.
The Saçlı Abdülkadir Efendi Cami that we see today has different origins. Şeyhülislam Hoca Sadeddin Efendi built this as a Darülkurra. This was between 1585 and 1590. A Darülkurra is a school for Quran recitation.
Saçlı Abdülkadir Efendi served as Şeyhülislam during Süleyman the Magnificent’s reign. He followed in his father’s spiritual footsteps. His father is buried in the tomb near the Eyüp Sultan Camii side of the mosque. Saçlı Abdülkadir Efendi is buried there too.
The cemetery around the Saçlı Abdülkadir Efendi Cami contains many historic graves. Over a hundred graves from the 16th to 19th centuries are here. Hoca Sadeddin Efendi is among those buried here. Also, the hero of Samiha Ayverdi’s novel İbrahim Efendi Konağı rests here.
Hoca Sadeddin Efendi had five sons. All are buried in this cemetery. These sons include Müderris Mes’ud Efendi. Also Şeyhülislam Şerif Mehmet Çelebi Efendi and Kazasker Abdülaziz Efendi. Kazasker Salih Efendi and Şeyhülislam Mehmet Esad Efendi are also here.
Later Şeyhülislam Esad Mehmet Efendi gave the Darülkurra to Şaban Efendi. He was from Kastamonu to be used as a tekke. A tekke is a dervish lodge.
The building is square and has two floors. The main entrance was in the back. You would reach a portico through stone stairs. Today these porticoes are gone. Only the column bases and wall marks remain.
The Saçlı Abdülkadir Efendi Cami is made of cut stone and has a lead-covered dome. The dome’s drum has eight windows. The lower part has nine windows. Thick supports divide the windows. The dome rests on these supports and corner squinches. A closed window on the qibla side serves as a mihrab. The minbar is made of wood. The dome’s center has an inscription. There is no minaret.
The Saçlı Abdülkadir Efendi Cami stands as a testament to Istanbul’s rich history. It shows us the city’s faith. It reminds us of the scholars. It connects us to the spiritual leaders who shaped this land.