The Merkezefendi Cemetery ( tr, Merkezefendi Mezarlığı) is a burial ground situated in Merkezefendi neighborhood of

Zeytinburnu Zeytinburnu (literally, ''Olive Cape'') is a working-class neighbourhood, municipality (belediye) and district on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey, on the shore of the Marmara Sea just outside the walls of the ancient city, beyond the fortres ...

district on the European part of

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

. The neighborhood and the cemetery are named after

Merkez Efendi Merkez Efendi was the popular nickname of Musa bin Muslihiddin bin Kılıç (1463–1552), an Ottoman Islamic scholar and Sufi. He is also credited as the founder of " Mesir macunu", a therapeutic paste believed to have cured mental diseases am ...

, an Ottoman

Islamic scholar In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...

and Sufi (1463–1552). Many renowned intellectuals, writers and artists rest in this old cemetery covering an area of . The cemetery was established in the 16th century with the construction of the tomb of

at this location. It was extended in the 1950s, and another cemetery, the Kozlu Cemetery was established away. The cemetery was fully renovated in 2007. At the time of the burial of former Prime Minister

Necmettin Erbakan Necmettin Erbakan (29 October 1926 – 27 February 2011) was a Turkish politician, engineer, and academic who was the Prime Minister of Turkey from 1996 to 1997. He was pressured by the military to step down as prime minister and was later ban ...

in 2011, a comprehensive maintenance work was carried out at the cemetery. Currently, burials are allowed only for the members of families with existing graves.

Notable burials

Listed in order of death year: *

Abdullah Cevdet Abdullah Cevdet ( ota, عبدالله جودت‎; tr, Abdullah Cevdet Karlıdağ; 9 September 1869 – 29 November 1932) was a Kurdish intellectual and physician in the Ottoman Empire. He was one of the founders of the Committee of Union an ...

(1869–1932) writer,

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

, translator, radical free-thinker and an ideologist of the Young Turks * Rıza Nur (1879–1942) politician, writer * Adnan Adıvar (1882–1955) physician, politician, writer *

Sadettin Kaynak Sadettin Kaynak (1895 – 3 February 1961) was a prominent composer of Turkish classical music. Biography Born in Istanbul, he became a hafiz at a young age. He lost his father early in his youth. He completed his music education at the Ista ...

(1895–1961) composer, musician * Halide Edip Adıvar (1884–1964) novelist, feminist politician * Hamdullah Suphi Tanrıöver (1885–1966), poet and politician *

Sabahattin Eyüboğlu Sabahattin Eyüboğlu (1908 – January 13, 1973) was a Turkish writer, essayist, translator and film producer. Biography Sabahatttin Eyüboğlu was born in 1908 on the Black Sea coast town of Akçaabat near Trabzon. His father Mehmet Rah ...

(1908–1973) translator, essayist, film producer * Samiha Ayverdi (1905–1993) novelist, Sufi * Halil Hâlid (1869–1931) Turkish writer *

Mualla Eyüboğlu Mualla Eyüboğlu Anhegger (March 13, 1919 – August 16, 2009) was one of the first female Turkish architects. She is known for her restoration work on the Topkapı Palace harem room and the Rumelihisarı in Istanbul. Early life and education ...

(1919–2009)

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

, restorer *

(1926–2011) engineer, politician, former prime minister * Toktamış Ateş (1944–2013) academician, writer * Neşe Aybey (1930-2015)

Miniaturist A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolor, or enamel. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illuminated manuscripts, and were popular among 16th-century eli ...

, Academic

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merkezefendi Cemetery Cemeteries in Istanbul Sunni cemeteries Zeytinburnu