Kaygusuz Lodge

Kaygusuz Baba Tekke, a historic 19th‑century Ottoman‑period tekke located in the Sultanahmet neighbourhood of Istanbul’s Fatih district. It operated under the Qadiriyya order. The tekke takes its name from its founder Hacı Kaygusuz İbrahim Baba. Among the local population, the tekke was also known as the Clock‑maker Tekke after one of its last caretakers, the clock‑maker Hacı Hasan Rıza Efendi. Over time, after the closure of tekkes and zawiyas, the building was used for various purposes. In 2012 it was allocated to the Istanbul Turkish Hearth and rebuilt as an educational building.

History

The tekke was founded in the mid‑19th century by the Qadiriyya sheikh Hacı Kaygusuz İbrahim Baba in a caravanserai room situated between Hagia Sophia and the Sultanahmet Mosque. Known by his full name Hacı Kaygusuz İbrahim Baba, he was born in 1832 in Üsküdar and became the deputy of the Qadiriyya sheikh Akkavukzade Ömer Vasfi Efendi. He died in Sultanahmet in 1873. Later, with the support of the tekke’s dervish Mustafa Şevki Efendi, the structure was moved to its present site and a standalone building was erected there. In the late 19th century, during the reign of Sultan II Abdulhamid, various repair and expansion works were carried out.

In 1925 the tekke, like other tariqa institutions, ceased its activities. During the urban planning reforms of 1956‑1957 the tevhidhane (prayer hall) section was demolished, the remaining structures were transferred to private ownership and over time were used for different purposes (for example as an apartment). In 2012, following a decision by the General Directorate of Foundations, construction work began on the tekke land allocated to the Istanbul Turkish Hearth; due to archaeological excavations the work was completed in 2018 and the building entered service as the Milli Mefkûre Mektebi.