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The Vefa neighborhood of Istanbul has a few points of interest to discover. It’s a historic part of the Fatih district within the modern borough of Mollahüsrev, and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Historic Areas of Istanbul, under the Süleymaniye Mosque and its Associated Component Area.
Vefa Avenue
Vefa is best seen while walking between the Süleymaniye Mosque and Şehzade Mosque, and the main street through the neighborhood is Vefa Avenue (Vefa Caddesi). It’s lined with small local shops and restaurants. The closest metro station is Vezneciler.
Atıf Efendi Library
Starting at the north end of Vefa Avenue, coming from the Süleymaniye Mosque, is the Atıf Efendi Library (Atıf Efendi Kütüphanesi). It was built in 1741 and founded by Mustafa Atıf Efendi, the treasurer of Sultan Mahmud I. It has a collection of over 30,000 pieces, including over 3,200 manuscripts. All manuscripts have been transferred to electronic media. The library works under the Süleymaniye Library system, which is headquartered at the Süleymaniye Mosque Complex.
Sheikh Ebül Vefa Mosque
A few steps south is the Sheikh Ebül Vefa Mosque (Şeyh Ebül Vefa Camii). It was originally built in 1476 for Sheikh Ebül Vefa (d. 1491), the Sufi scholar for whom the neighborhood is named.
The mosque complex, which was built by Mehmed the Conqueror, consisted of a madrasa, soup kitchen, zawiya (institution), tomb, bath, and fountain. It underwent a major renovation in 1757 and was completely rebuilt at the beginning of the 20th century.
The tomb of Sheikh Ebül Vefa is a major part of the complex. It was built in 1491 and contains five burials in total.
Molla Gürani Mosque / Vefa Church Mosque
Taking a short detour up Molla Şemsettin Cami Street is the Molla Gürani Mosque (Molla Gürani Camii), also known as the Vefa Church Mosque (Vefa Kilise Camii). It was originally built as a Byzantine church in the 10th or 11th century and was probably dedicated to St. Theodore (Ἄγιος Θεοδόρος ἑν τὰ Καρβουνάρια).
Shortly after the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, the church was converted into a mosque by Kurdish scholar Molla Gürani (1410-1488). He was a tutor of Mehmed the Conqueror and would later become Şeyhülislam (Shaykh al-Islam) and the first Mufti of Constantinople.
The building was damaged by fire in 1833 and restored in 1848, but many of its Byzantine mosaics were lost. Thankfully, it underwent a much needed renovation between 2017 and 2021.
I’ve walked by the building several times on my visits to the neighborhood but it has always been closed outside prayer times. So far, I haven’t been able to enter.
Features of the Molla Gürani Mosque
The Molla Gürani Mosque contains an exonarthex to the west, a portico with columns and arches to the south, and a corridor to the north. The exonarthex is covered by three domes. Each of the domes was covered in mosaics. They were cleaned in 1937 under M. I. Nomides and the Ministry of Mosques, but had completely disappeared by 2007.
It’s easy to spot many of the Byzantine architectural elements on the exterior. Many of the columns, capitals, and slabs were recycled from earlier Byzantine buildings.
Vefa Bozacısı
Back on Vefa Avenue, one place to stop into is Vefa Bozacısı, the oldest and most famous boza shop in the city. Boza is a fermented malt drink made from wheat, and this particular establishment makes the best in Istanbul.
Hacı Sadık Bey came to Istanbul from Prizren in 1870. He founded Vefa Bozacısı in 1876 and it quickly became the most famous boza shop in town. It’s still run by his descendants and is the oldest boza shop still in existence in the city.
Sit down, enjoy a glass of boza, and feel like a local. You’ll also be able to see a glass used by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), who stopped in the shop in 1937.
Vefa High School
At the south end of the street is Vefa High School (Vefa Lisesi). Established in 1872, it’s one of the oldest and most important high schools in Turkey. The newer main building sits along Cemal Yener Tosyalı Street.
The original building, the Mütercim Rüşdi Pasha Mansion (Mütercim Rüşdi Paşa Konağı), is located on Dede Efendi Street. It was built by Mehmed Rüşdi Pasha (1811-1882), the Grand Vizier once under Abdülmecid I, twice under Abdülaziz, once under Murad V, and once under Abdülhamid II. The exact construction date and architect are unknown, but the school first moved into the building in 1881. During the Balkan Wars, the building was used as the Hilal-i Ahmer Hospital (Hilal-i Ahmer Hastanesi), and the high school returned in 1917.
Ekmekçizade Ahmed Pasha Madrasa
At the corner of Cemal Yener Tosyalı Street and Dede Efendi Street is Ekmekçizade Ahmed Pasha Madrasa (Ekmekçizade Ahmed Paşa Medresesi). It was built before 1618 by Ekmekçizade Ahmed Pasha, a treasurer under Ahmed I. It’s believed that the architect was Sedefkar Mehmed Ağa (c. 1540-1617), who also designed the Blue Mosque. The complex contains a madrasa, tomb, fountain, and small cemetery.
Molla Hüsrev Mosque
Across the street is the Molla Hüsrev Mosque (Molla Hüsrev Camii). It was built in 1460 by Molla Hüsrev (d. 1480), a tutor of Mehmed the Conqueror and a Şeyhülislam (Shaykh al-Islam). The mosque was renovated in the late 19th century under Abdülhamid II and again in 1978.
Emir Hoca Madrasa
About a block away down Taş Tekneler Street is the Emir Hoca Madrasa (Emir Hoca Medresesi). It was built in the 16th century and completely destroyed by fire in 1918. The complex contained the tomb of Emir Hoca, which disappeared before the fire and was used as a parking lot from 1918 to 2003. I can’t find any other information about the madrasa, but it was restored in 2018.
Kayserili Ahmed Pasha Mansion
Finally, a block north on Kayserili Ahmed Pasha Street is the Kayserili Ahmed Pasha Mansion (Kayserili Ahmed Paşa Konağı). It was built in 1875 by Ahmed Pasha (1806-1878), a naval commander during the Crimean War and two time Minister of the Ottoman Navy. The beautiful building is made of wood and sits on a masonry foundation. It was historically located in the Süleymaniye neighborhood, which was fashionable for high officials of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, but now falls within the modern borough of Mollahüsrev.
The Kayserili Ahmed Pasha Mansion was slated for demolition in 1976 and saved by the General Directorate of Historical Monuments and Museums two years later. The building was restored by architect Nurhan Ercan from 1986 to 1987 and used as the Istanbul Bureau of Preservation from 1988 to 2006. In November 2006, it was allocated to the Protection, Implementation and Control Directorate (KUDEB).
