Damat Ibrahim Pasa Complex

Damat Ibrahim Pasa Complex

The complex was built on the instructions of Nevsehirli Damat Ibrahim Paşa (1718-1730) in 1720. It is located at the corner of Dede Efendi Street and Şehzadepaşa Street, and is composed of a library and Darul Hadith (Faculty of Specialty in Hadith Sciences). The grave of Damat Ibrahim Paşa and his sons are present in the southern section of the complex’s courtyard. The rooms with eyvan, a vaulted room with one side open to a courtyard, located in the same direction of the graves, was built for madrasah (Qur'an School) students.     The public fountain of the complex, located on Şehzadepaşa Street, came to harm during road construction. In the years when the schoolroom of the complex was transformed into a mosque, the minaret with a sherefe (minaret balcony) was added to the present complex. As for the fountain of the mosque, it was located in the middle of the courtyard, amid the trees. In the period of its activity as a madrasah, it is known that the little complex had been decked out with a crowded permanent staff. Flowers motif used in the ornaments of the structure showed parallelism with the understanding of architecture during the “Tulip Era” (1718-1730) and increases its artistic value.