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Mahmutpaşa is a neighborhood in the Fatih district of Istanbul, Turkey. It’s bordered by the Grand Bazaar, Çemberlitaş, Cağaloğlu, and Eminönü, and is a heavily commercial area.
Introduction to Mahmutpaşa
Mahmutpaşa is a great place to observe local life. Residents flock there in numbers to shop for several different goods, especially textiles, yarn, and clothing.
There are several historic caravanserais (hans) in the area to look out for. Some of the oldest and most important caravanserais in Istanbul are scattered throughout Mahmutpaşa.
Organization of this Post
The order of buildings in this post follows the route of a walk through Mahmutpaşa that I’ve done several times. It starts at Çemberlitaş, winds through the neighborhood down past several hans, and eventually leads through Sultanhamam to Eminönü.
Mahmud Pasha Mosque
First of all, one of the most important buildings in Mahmutpaşa is the Mahmud Pasha Mosque (Mahmut Paşa Camii), which was completed in 1464 and gives the area its name. It was one of the first mosques built in the walled city after the Fall of Constantinople. The architect is believed to be Atik Sinan, a member of the city’s Greek community.
The Mahmud Pasha Mosque was commissioned by Mahmud Pasha Angelović (1420-1474), a Grand Vizier under Mehmed the Conqueror and a Serb with Byzantine noble blood. He was captured by the Ottomans as a boy to be brought up in the devşirme system.
The Mahmud Pasha Mosque was part of a large complex that included a hamam, caravanserai, madrasa, soup kitchen, courtroom, and primary school. They were scattered throughout different parts of the neighborhood. Of these buildings, only the hamam and caravanserai are still intact. The caravanserai, Kürkçü Han, is the oldest surviving caravanserai in Istanbul.
The mosque was built in an early Ottoman style that originated in Bursa. It contains two identical domes rather than one large single dome. Each dome has a diameter of 12.5 meters (41 feet). There’s one minaret. An inner porch and outer porch are each covered by five small domes.
Tomb of Mahmud Pasha Angelović
The tomb of Mahmud Pasha Angelović sits behind the mosque. It was built between 1473 and 1474. The tomb has been under restoration for a few years, but during my last visit to the area in June 2023, it looked like work was almost done.
Abud Efendi Han
A short walk from the mosque, I noticed the Abud Efendi Han. It was built in 1895 by Ottoman Greek architect Theochari Bassilades and his son Demetre.
The building has façades in three directions and is four stories tall. Two of the three entrances contain the inscription Stamboul Yenni-Tcharchi in French and İstanbul Yeni Çarşısı in Ottoman on the right. This translates to Istanbul New Bazaar.
The interior of the building features wide corridors, iron staircases, and large rooms. It has kept its general appearance throughout the years.
Yarım Han
Directly across the street to the east of the Abud Efendi Han is the Yarım Han. It was built between 1889 and 1890. The building caught my eye for the beautiful fountain-like designs between the windows on the upper floors.
Mahmud Pasha Hamam
A few steps further north is the Mahmud Pasha Hamam (Mahmutpaşa Hamamı). It was part of the Mahmud Pasha Mosque complex and provided income for the mosque’s charitable foundation. It was completed in 1466 and is one of the oldest surviving bathhouses in the city. The hamam used to be a double bath with a men’s and women’s section, but the women’s section was demolished to make way for another building. It served as a storage depot for many years and is now a shopping center.
Koçulu Han
On a street just west of the hamam is Koçulu Han. It’s not a significant building but it stood out from surrounding buildings architecturally. I also noticed inscriptions in Ottoman, Greek, and Armenian. I can’t find any relevant information about the building.
Büyük Yeni Han
A few steps north of Koçulu Han is Büyük Yeni Han. It’s the second largest caravanserai in Istanbul. Büyük Yeni Han was built by Sultan Mustafa III between 1761 and 1764. The architect is unknown but some sources list Mehmed Tahir Ağa. The construction supervisor was Şehremini Haşim Ali Bey. The land to build the structure was procured through a series of property exchanges.
Büyük Yeni Han became one of the most important commercial buildings in the area. Most of the rooms were occupied by foreign and non-Muslim moneychangers, many of whom were Ottoman Armenians. Moneychanging was an important business at Büyük Yeni Han until Bankalar Street in Galata was developed in the late 19th century.
Rent collected from shopkeepers provided income for the upkeep of Büyük Yeni Han as well as revenue for the charitable foundation of the Laleli Mosque in Laleli. The building was used by Allied troops as a headquarters during the Occupation of Constantinople after World War I.
Features of Büyük Yeni Han
Büyük Yeni Han is an irregular rectangular building. The architect had to make it fit into uneven spaces due to the position of the streets. The northern façade of the building, overlooking Çakmakçılar Street, is the most striking exterior feature. It was built with irregular overhanging projections meant to give more space to the upper floors along the curved street. It also allowed for more space for windows to illuminate the rooms.
Another interesting feature is the birdhouse built into the northeast corner at Çakmakçılar and Sandalyeciler Streets. Only part of the birdhouse survives today.
Büyük Yeni Han is three stories high and originally had one long courtyard. The courtyard was split in two during the 19th century when a structure was built in the middle. The length of the entire courtyard would have been 85 meters, with widths of 15 meters at its widest point and 12.5 meters at its narrowest. A three-level gallery of arches runs along the courtyard providing access to all the shops.
The number of rooms in the building varies depending on the source, but it’s believed that there were up to 164 rooms at one point. The ceilings of some rooms contain original painted decorations. Today, there are about 115 rooms inside and about 40 shops around the outer perimeter.
Mustafa III Mosque
At the corner of Çakmakçılar Street, where both Büyük Yeni Han and Büyük Valide Han meet, is the Mustafa III Mosque (III. Mustafa Camii). It was built in 1760 by Sultan Mustafa III atop another han. The mosque has one central dome topped with lead. The best views are from the upper floors of Büyük Valide Han across the street.
Büyük Valide Han
Büyük Valide Han is the biggest caravanserai in Istanbul. It was commissioned by Kösem Sultan (1589-1651), the chief consort of Sultan Ahmed I and mother of Murad IV and Ibrahim. It was built to provide income for the upkeep of the Tiled Mosque (Çinili Camii) in Üsküdar.
The exact construction date is unknown but it was thought to be completed by 1651. Büyük Valide Han occupies the site of the 16th century palace of Grand Vizier Cerrah Mehmed Pasha (d. 1604).
In its heyday, Büyük Valide Han could house up to 3,000 travelers and their animals in one night. Starting in the 19th century, the building was associated with and inhabited by Iranian merchants. In fact, the first Quran printed in Constantinople was published there in the 1870s.
On August 19, 1906, part of the building collapsed and the rooms were evacuated by the government. In 1931 it was decided that Büyük Valide Han could no longer be used as a residence. Today, the building is in a dilapidated state but still partially occupied by offices and workshops. Many of the rooms have been passed down through generations by inheritance.
Features of Büyük Valide Han
Büyük Valide Han has an area of 98 x 168 meters on an irregular plan. The main entrance is on Çakmakcılar Street and features a projection made of cut stone.
The building has three courtyards and by the end of the 18th century held up to 366 rooms. Today, there are a total of 210 rooms. 153 are located in the first two courtyards and 57 in the third courtyard.
Mosque
In the main courtyard is a mosque built in 1951. It replaced an older mosque built by the Iranians in the 19th century that burned down in 1947. The mosque serves the Shia community of Istanbul and is only open on certain occasions.
Rooftop
If you can find the caretaker of the building, he may let you up to the rooftop for some spectacular views of Mahmutpaşa. He’ll expect a tip for this.
Exploring the Han
As previously mentioned, Büyük Valide Han is in a dilapidated state, but that’s what makes it so attractive to me. The following are several photos I took while exploring the building in April 2012 with two Turkish friends, Selen and Canan:
Sabri Safa Han
While walking through Mahmutpaşa to visit Kürkçü Han, I passed by the Sabri Safa Han (Sabri Safa Hanı). It’s another beautiful stone building that I can’t find much information about.
Kürkçü Han
Kürkçü Han, which translates to Furriers Han, is the oldest surviving caravanserai in Istanbul. It was commissioned by Mahmud Pasha Angelović. Rent collected from the shopkeepers was meant to provide income for the charitable foundation of the Mahmud Pasha Mosque complex.
The exact construction date is unknown but it’s believed to have been completed in 1467. The architect was probably Atik Sinan. It was originally 128 x 68 meters covering a total area of 8,700 square meters.
Today, Kürkçü Han is a popular place for local women shopping for yarn. Most of the shops sell yarn and fabrics. The main gate is on the eastern side of the building.
Features of Kürkçü Han
Kürkçü Han was built in the earlier style of caravanserais that originated in Bursa. Its appearance has largely been modified over the years and some original elements have not survived.
Kürkçü Han once had two large adjacent courtyards. Today’s courtyard, the south courtyard, is almost square and surrounded by a two-story arched gallery. The irregular north courtyard is no longer intact.
In the center of the south courtyard is a rectangular mosque donated by someone named Hacı Küçük. In the past, there was probably a small prayer room and a fountain.
