Sulaymaniyya Takiyya

The Sulaymaniyya Takiyya ( ar, التَّكِيَّة السُّلَيْمَانِيَّة, at-Takiyya as-Sulaymāniyya), known in Turkish as , is a ''takiyya'' ( Ottoman-era Arabic name for a mosque complex which served as a Sufi convent) in Damascus, Syria, located on the right bank of the Barada River.. Commissioned by the Ottoman sultan Süleyman I, the western building of the complex was built, following the plans of Mimar Sinan, between 1554 and 1559. Another building was added eastwards from it in 1566 to be used as a madrasa (which became known as the Salimiyya Madrasa, named after Süleyman's son Selim II, 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 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, 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 is buried, Mehmed VI, 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, followed by Şehzade Cihangir 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'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, until it was completed in 1558–59. This building was masterminded by Mimar Sinan and built by local craftsmen, on the location of Baibars' Ablaq Palace which was destroyed by Tamerlane 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'' and of Syrian origin. The mosque has been described as "the finest example of Ottoman architecture in Damascus".Tekkiye Mosque Complex

Eastern building

In addition to the first building and eastwards from it, a madrasa 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 (after Süleyman's son Selim II), and was subject to the Hanafi school.

Usage history

The complex later served as a gathering point for pilgrims who wanted to prepare for the annual Hajj.

Cemetery

The cemetery next to the mosque is the burial place of the last Ottoman Sultan Mehmed VI, who was dethroned and forced into exile when the Ottoman sultanate was abolished in 1922. He died on May 16, 1926, in Sanremo, Italy 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 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 courtyard
File:Damascus Sulaymaniyya Takiyya tomb of the last Sultan Mehmet VI 7886.jpg, Grave of the last Ottoman sultan, Mehmed VI (), in the cemetery
File:Damascus Sulaymaniyya Takiyya tombs 7885.jpg, Grave of Ahmed Nihad, 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