The Sulaymaniyya Takiyya ( ar, التَّكِيَّة السُّلَيْمَانِيَّة, at-Takiyya as-Sulaymāniyya), known in
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
as , is a ''
takiyya
A khanqah ( fa, خانقاه) or khangah ( fa, خانگاه; also transliterated as ''khankah'', ''khaneqa'', ''khanegah'' or ''khaneqah''; also Arabized ''hanegah'', ''hanikah'', ''hanekah'', ''khankan''), also known as a ribat (), is a buildin ...
'' (
Ottoman-era Arabic name for a
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
complex which served as a
Sufi
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
convent) in
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
,
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
, located on the right bank of the
Barada
, name_etymology = From ''barid'', meaning 'cold' in Semitic languages
, image = Barada river in Damascus (April 2009).jpg
, image_size = 300
, image_caption = Barada river in Damascus near the Four Seasons Hote ...
River.
[.] Commissioned by the Ottoman sultan
Süleyman I
Suleiman I ( ota, سليمان اول, Süleyman-ı Evvel; tr, I. Süleyman; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver ( ota, قانونى سلطان سليمان, Ḳ ...
, the western building of the complex was built, following the plans of
Mimar Sinan
Mimar Sinan ( ota, معمار سينان, translit=Mi'mâr Sinân, , ) ( 1488–1490 – 17 July 1588) also known as Koca Mi'mâr Sinân Âğâ, ("Sinan Agha (title), Agha the Grand Architect" or "Grand Sinan") was the chief Ottoman Empir ...
, between 1554 and 1559. Another building was added eastwards from it in 1566 to be used as a
madrasa
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
(which became known as the
Salimiyya Madrasa
The Salimiyya Madrasa () is a 16th-century madrasa in Damascus, Syria. It is part of the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya, started under the Ottoman sultan Süleyman I.
The madrasa was built after the rest of the complex, with stones which had been left ove ...
, named after Süleyman's son
Selim II
Selim II ( Ottoman Turkish: سليم ثانى ''Selīm-i sānī'', tr, II. Selim; 28 May 1524 – 15 December 1574), also known as Selim the Blond ( tr, Sarı Selim) or Selim the Drunk ( tr, Sarhoş Selim), was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire ...
, although this building too may have been commissioned by Süleyman before his death).
Although ''not'' the first Ottoman building in Damascus (that is considered to have been the
Salimiyya Takiyya
The Salimiyya Takiyya ( ar, التكية السليمية, at-Takiyya as-Salīmiyya) is a '' takiyya'' ( Ottoman-era Arabic name for a mosque complex which served as a Sufi convent) in as-Salihiyya, Damascus.
The complex was built over and in t ...
in
as-Salihiyya), the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya is considered to have marked the introduction of the
Ottoman architectural style to Damascus. In the centuries following its construction, the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya became an important stop on the "Syrian route" of pilgrims to
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
, and it is considered to this day "as the most important Ottoman cultural building" in Damascus.
In the cemetery of the complex, the last
Ottoman sultan
The sultans of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı padişahları), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to its dissolution in 1922. At its hei ...
is buried,
Mehmed VI
Mehmed VI Vahideddin ( ota, محمد سادس ''Meḥmed-i sâdis'' or ''Vaḥîdü'd-Dîn''; tr, VI. Mehmed or /; 14 January 1861 – 16 May 1926), also known as Şahbaba () among the Osmanoğlu family, was the 36th and last Sultan of the O ...
, who was forced into exile upon the
abolition of the Ottoman sultanate in 1922.
Construction
Sultan Suleiman I who had recently lost two sons, as he executed his son
Şehzade Mustafa
Şehzade Mustafa (Ottoman Turkish: شهزاده مصطفى; 6 August 1515 – 6 October 1553) was an Ottoman prince and the son of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his consort Mahidevran Sultan. He was the prince-governor of Manisa from 1532 ...
, followed by
Şehzade Cihangir
Şehzade Cihangir ( ota, شهزاده جهانگير; 1531 – 27 November 1553) was an Ottoman prince, the sixth and youngest child of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Hurrem Sultan.
Life
Cihangir was born in Constantinople in 1531 d ...
who died of grief, wanted to establish a mosque for the salvation of his soul, so he chose the site of his father
Selim I
Selim I ( ota, سليم الأول; tr, I. Selim; 10 October 1470 – 22 September 1520), known as Selim the Grim or Selim the Resolute ( tr, links=no, Yavuz Sultan Selim), was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to 1520. Despite last ...
's former palace in Damascus.
Western building
The construction of the western building was commissioned in 1554–55 during the reign of governor
Şemsi Pasha
Şemsi Ahmet Pasha also known as Chamsi-Pasha; (born: 1492; died: April 28, 1580) was a prominent Ottoman statesman of Albanian originDanişmend (1971), p. 25. who occupied numerous high-ranking political posts, serving at different stages a ...
, until it was completed in 1558–59.
This building was masterminded by
Mimar Sinan
Mimar Sinan ( ota, معمار سينان, translit=Mi'mâr Sinân, , ) ( 1488–1490 – 17 July 1588) also known as Koca Mi'mâr Sinân Âğâ, ("Sinan Agha (title), Agha the Grand Architect" or "Grand Sinan") was the chief Ottoman Empir ...
and built by local craftsmen, on the location of
Baibars
Al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baybars al-Bunduqdari ( ar, الملك الظاهر ركن الدين بيبرس البندقداري, ''al-Malik al-Ẓāhir Rukn al-Dīn Baybars al-Bunduqdārī'') (1223/1228 – 1 July 1277), of Turkic Kipchak ...
' Ablaq Palace which was destroyed by
Tamerlane
Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kür ...
forces during the
siege of Damascus. It is composed of a large mosque on the southwest side of a courtyard, flanked by a single line of stone arcading, and a soup kitchen (known in Turkish as ''imaret'')
across the courtyard to the northwest, flanked by hospice buildings.
Mosque
The mosque has two minarets and Ottoman-style domes. It also has walls with alternating light and dark stripes, an architectural feature known as ''
ablaq
Ablaq ( ar, أبلق; particolored; literally 'piebald') is an architectural technique involving alternating or fluctuating rows of light and dark stone. Records trace the beginnings of this type of masonry technique to the southern parts of S ...
'' and of Syrian origin. The mosque has been described as "the finest example of
Ottoman architecture
Ottoman architecture is the architectural style that developed under the Ottoman Empire. It first emerged in northwestern Anatolia in the late 13th century and developed from earlier Seljuk architecture, Seljuk Turkish architecture, with influen ...
in Damascus".
[Tekkiye Mosque Complex](_blank)
Eastern building
In addition to the first building and eastwards from it, a
madrasa
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
was built in 1566–67. It was possibly ordered by Süleyman right before his death in 1566 as it was called the Sulaymaniyya Madrasa in some sources upon completion,
but over time it became known as the
Salimiyya Madrasa
The Salimiyya Madrasa () is a 16th-century madrasa in Damascus, Syria. It is part of the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya, started under the Ottoman sultan Süleyman I.
The madrasa was built after the rest of the complex, with stones which had been left ove ...
(after Süleyman's son
Selim II
Selim II ( Ottoman Turkish: سليم ثانى ''Selīm-i sānī'', tr, II. Selim; 28 May 1524 – 15 December 1574), also known as Selim the Blond ( tr, Sarı Selim) or Selim the Drunk ( tr, Sarhoş Selim), was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire ...
), and was subject to the
Hanafi school
The Hanafi school ( ar, حَنَفِية, translit=Ḥanafiyah; also called Hanafite in English), Hanafism, or the Hanafi fiqh, is the oldest and one of the four traditional major Sunni schools (maddhab) of Islamic Law (Fiqh). It is named afte ...
.
Usage history
The complex later served as a gathering point for pilgrims who wanted to prepare for the annual
Hajj
The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried ...
.
Cemetery
The cemetery next to the mosque is the burial place of the last Ottoman Sultan
Mehmed VI
Mehmed VI Vahideddin ( ota, محمد سادس ''Meḥmed-i sâdis'' or ''Vaḥîdü'd-Dîn''; tr, VI. Mehmed or /; 14 January 1861 – 16 May 1926), also known as Şahbaba () among the Osmanoğlu family, was the 36th and last Sultan of the O ...
, who was dethroned and forced into exile when the Ottoman sultanate was abolished in 1922. He died on May 16, 1926, in
Sanremo
Sanremo (; lij, Sanrémmo(ro) or , ) or San Remo is a city and comune on the Mediterranean coast of Liguria, in northwestern Italy. Founded in Roman times, it has a population of 55,000, and is known as a tourist destination on the Italian Rivie ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
and was buried at the cemetery of the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya. The mosque was chosen because it was located in the closest Muslim-majority country to Turkey and was built by his ancestors. There are almost thirty other graves of the
Ottoman dynasty who died in exile and were not allowed to be buried in the
Republic of Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
at the time.
Gallery
File:Sulaymaniyya Takiyya (plaque).jpg, Plaque
File:Takiyya as-Süleimaniyya Mosque 02.jpg, The minarets of the mosque seen from outside the fence
File:Damascus Takiyya as-Süleimaniyya Mosque 7841.jpg, Mosque as seen from Shoukry al-Qouwatly Street and the Barada River
File:Sulaymaniyya Takiyya 5.jpg, The mosque courtyard in 1870
File:090 Nov 1942 - Grand mosque of Damascus, Syria.jpg, Mosque in 1942
File:Courtyard of the Salimiyya Madrasa in the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya, Damascus, Syria.jpg, Salimiyya Madrasa
The Salimiyya Madrasa () is a 16th-century madrasa in Damascus, Syria. It is part of the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya, started under the Ottoman sultan Süleyman I.
The madrasa was built after the rest of the complex, with stones which had been left ove ...
courtyard
File:Damascus Sulaymaniyya Takiyya tomb of the last Sultan Mehmet VI 7886.jpg, Grave of the last Ottoman sultan, Mehmed VI
Mehmed VI Vahideddin ( ota, محمد سادس ''Meḥmed-i sâdis'' or ''Vaḥîdü'd-Dîn''; tr, VI. Mehmed or /; 14 January 1861 – 16 May 1926), also known as Şahbaba () among the Osmanoğlu family, was the 36th and last Sultan of the O ...
(), in the cemetery
File:Damascus Sulaymaniyya Takiyya tombs 7885.jpg, Grave of Ahmed Nihad
Ahmad ( ar, أحمد, ʾAḥmad) is an Arabic male given name common in most parts of the Muslim world. Other spellings of the name include Ahmed and Ahmet.
Etymology
The word derives from the root (ḥ-m-d), from the Arabic (), from the ve ...
, head of the imperial family from 1944 to 1954
File:Hatice Sultan tomb.jpg, Grave of Hatice Sultan, daughter of Murad V
File:Cemetery of the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya - Grave of Refia Sultan.jpg, Grave of Refia Sultan, daughter of Abdülhamid II
Notes
References
Sources
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External links
Sulaymaniyya Takiyya Archnet
{{Ottoman hajj routes
Mosques completed in 1559
16th-century mosques
Ottoman mosques in Syria
Ottoman architecture in Damascus
Mosques in Damascus
Mimar Sinan buildings