Hırka-i Şerif Mosque, Fatih, Istanbul

08/08/2021

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Architect(s) Seyyid Abdulhalim Efendi (Hassa Architect)
Construction start 1847
Completion 1851
Features
Number of domes One
Number of minarets 2 minarets with one balcony
Materials Cut limestone
Hırka-ı Şerif Mosque is a mosque built in 1851, located in the Hırkaişerif Neighborhood, which it gave its name, within the borders of Atikali district in Fatih District of Istanbul.

It was built by Sultan Abdülmecid for the preservation and visit of the cardigan (Hırka-ı Şerif) that the Islamic prophet Muhammad gifted to Veysel Karani. This mosque has a very important place in the religious folklore of Istanbul, as it is the place where the Hırka-ı Şerif is kept.

After Veysal Karani’s death, Hırka-ı Şerif, which remained in the hands of the Üveysi dynasty, was brought to Istanbul in the early 17th century by Şükrullah Üveysi, the head of the family at that time, in accordance with the edict of Ahmed I. It is known that the Üveysi family, who settled in Istanbul, had a masonry cell and a fountain and soup kitchen built next to it by the Grand Vizier Çorlulu Ali Pasha for the protection of the cardigan, which was visited in their house in the Fatih district, and then a foundation was established for the first time in 1725 during the time of Sheikh Osman Üveysi.

As the building was insufficient for visits, Abdulhamid I had the cell in the courtyard of the mosque built in 1780, which is now called the “Small Cardigan-i Sharif Office” or “Old Cardigan-i Sharif Chamber”. II. When the cell, which was renovated by Mahmud in 1812, became insufficient in time, the Hırka-ı Şerif Mosque was built during the reign of Sultan Abdülmecit. The construction, which started in 1847 after the surrounding buildings were expropriated and demolished, was completed in 1851.