Gazanfer Ağa Medresesi

Gazanfer Ağa Medresesi is a medrese located in Fatih, Istanbul, built by Gazanfer Ağa (d. 1602/03), one of the Hungarian-origin kapıağas of Mehmed III. It is situated on the left side of the road descending from Atatürk Boulevard and Kovacılar Street to Eminönü. It lies at the foot of the Bozdoğan Arch and is surrounded by Unkapanı and the Istanbul Manufacturers' Bazaar (İMÇ). The exact construction date of the medrese is not known. Its endowment deed was drawn up in 1595/96. Some sources claim that its architect was Davud Ağa. The medrese is one of the independent institutions of the period that were not part of a külliye. Since 2014, Gazanfer Ağa Medresesi has served as an Education and Culture Center, offering education and cultural services to higher education students within the Aziz Mahmut Hüdayi foundation.

History and features

Although it suffered great damage in fires that occurred in various periods, it has been restored many times. Especially after the fire of 1782, it was ruined and then repaired again. When looking at the medrese registration lists from some dates, the capacity of the medrese is observed to have varied between twenty‑five and thirty students. A 1914 report states that the medrese then had fourteen newly repaired rooms, each accommodating two persons. This report also indicates that the medrese was damaged in the 1908 fire. From the part of the medrese facing Kovacılar Street, a small courtyard is entered. On the right side of the courtyard is a tomb of Gazanfer Ağa with an octagonal (TDVİA: onikigen) plan and a dome. In the left corner of the courtyard and boulevard there is a sebil. Also within the courtyard there is a burial ground consisting of ten graves, the oldest dating from 1616. The medrese section reached by passing through the front courtyard has important architectural features. In this part, classrooms are arranged. Directly opposite the entrance is a square‑plan mosque‑classroom covered with a dome. Although the medrese plan includes fifteen cells, the endowment deed mentions seventeen cells.

The madrasa attained an important position in 1942 with the opening of Atatürk Boulevard, but because of the presence of the Bozdoğan Arch beside it, it also has a damp structure. The madrasa was restored between 1943 and 1944 and became the Municipal Museum in 1945. In 1989 it was also converted into the Istanbul Metropolitan Cartoon and Humor Museum.