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Unkapanı is a neighborhood in Istanbul south of the Golden Horn. It sits to the east of Atatürk Boulevard across the street from Zeyrek.
Introduction to Unkapanı
Unkapanı was historically the place where flour and grains were stored and is traditionally the center of the Turkish music market. There’s not much to see other than a couple minor points of interest, so it doesn’t take very long to explore. You can stop by if you’re walking between Vefa and Zeyrek.
Şebsefa Hatun Mosque
First, right along Atatürk Boulevard is the Şebsefa Hatun Mosque (Şebsefa Hatun Camii). It was built in 1787 by Fatma Şebsefa Kadın (c. 1766 – c. 1805), the fourth consort of Sultan Abdülhamid I, in memory of her son Şehzade Mehmed Nusret. He was her first child and he died at the age of three on October 23, 1785.
The mosque was built in the Baroque style on a rectangular plan and has one minaret. It’s topped by a single dome with 16 windows in the drum. The mihrab is made of marble and the minbar is wooden. It’s more beautiful than I had expected and I feel it’s worth stopping inside if you’re in the area.
The mosque was originally part of a complex that included two fountains, shops, and primary school. The shops were located under the school but were removed during the construction of Atarürk Boulevard, which opened in 1941. Boys and girls were educated in the school together.
The mosque also sat higher in the past and now sits below street level. Fatma Şebsefa Kadın is buried in a small cemetery behind the mosque.
Ayın Biri Church
A short walk away towards Vefa is the Ayın Biri Church (Ayın Biri Kilisesi), which is a small Greek Orthodox church. It dates back to the 1080s but later fell into decay after the Fall of Constantinople in 1453.
A local Greek family purchased the property in 1750 and converted the building into a house. One family member, a girl named Maria, had a dream in which the Virgin Mary appeared to her and told her a holy water spring is under the house. In 1755, the family investigated and discovered the spring. They then used their own money to convert the house into a church.
The name of the church, which translates to “first of the month church”, is due to the fact that the most important service of the year takes place on January 1. On this date, several visitors, both Christian and Muslim, enter the church to receive a blessing and make a wish. It’s also open on the first day of each month. At other times, if you wish to enter, you must ring the bell and hope someone answers. I didn’t try to enter and will try to see if if I’m in Istanbul on the first day of any month.
