Çorlulu Ali Paşa Medresesi

Çorlulu Ali Paşa Medrese is a historic medrese building located in the Beyazıt neighborhood of the Fatih district of Istanbul. It is part of a complex that includes the Çorlulu Ali Paşa Mosque, which was commissioned by Çorlulu Ali Paşa between 1707 and 1709.

Construction Period

The complex, consisting of a mosque, tekke, medrese (dârülhadis), library, cemetery and muftis, was established between 1707 and 1709 at the site historically known in sources as Irgatpazarı/Esirpazarı/Makasçılar, today called Çarşıkapı, and on the former location of the Simkeşhâne building. Its founder was Çorlulu Ali Paşa, son‑in‑law of Sultan Mustafa II and grand vizier of Sultan Ahmed III. Çorlulu Ali Paşa was born in 1670 in Çorlu as the son of a farmer family and was appointed grand vizier on 3 May 1706. In 1708 he married Emine Sultan, daughter of Sultan Mustafa II, to whom he had been engaged for seven years.

Restoration and Use

The tekke, whose affiliated order could not be identified, does not appear in Istanbul tekke lists from the early 19th century onward and is thought to have lost its original function at that time, being annexed to the complex’s medrese. The complex buildings were repaired by the General Directorate of Foundations in 1960–1961, and the fountains in 1963, and the medrese section was for a period given to the Arabkir Cultural Association. Today the mosque‑tevhidhâne, the medrese and the tekke cells are used as a tourist souvenir shop, a tutoring center, a coffeehouse in the medrese courtyard, and a library, while also serving as an imam’s office.

General Layout

The complex’s plot, situated in a densely commercial area of Istanbul, is divided north‑south; the western part contains the mosque and tekke forming a cohesive unit, while the eastern part houses the medrese and library.

Medrese

In the southeast corner of the rectangular‑plan medrese courtyard there is a classroom; north of it is the library, at the center a fountain, and along the western border the student cells. Above the medrese entrance is an inscription dated 1120 (1708) with a poetic text by the poet Dürrî. In size and design the medrese cells, adjacent to the tekke cells, number eight. The octagonal‑prism‑shaped classroom is covered by a low‑curved dome, has a pointed‑arched entrance portal on the west side, and each of its four sides features two windows placed on the vertical axis.

Nowadays

The madrasa is located in the Beyazıt district, centrally situated in Istanbul, near the Grand Bazaar. Its courtyard is currently operated as coffeehouses serving hookah and Turkish coffee, and it is heavily visited by both locals and tourists.