Sokullu Mehmet Paşa Darülkurrası

Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Darülkurrâ, a darülkurra built in 1579 in Eyüpsultan by Mimar Sinan at the request of Sokollu Mehmet Pasha. The Darülkurrâ consists of a single square-plan space covered with a domed entrance revak with a pointed arch, a baklava-shaped roof, and a dome with a tromp, formed by four columns, two of which are embedded. From the two-line inscription above the entrance door it is understood that it was commissioned in 987 (1579) on behalf of Ismihan Sultan. This date is also the year Sokollu Mehmed Pasha was killed. The building’s ownership is with the General Directorate of Foundations, accessed via the courtyard of Eyüp Sultan Mosque. Today it is assigned to the Eyüp Sultan Ilim Culture and Service Foundation. The darülkurra, restored in 1961-1962, is still in good condition. The term “Darülkurra”, formed from “dar” meaning “place, space, house” and the plural of “kurra” meaning “one who reads”, was used for schools where the Qur’an was taught, a portion or the whole was memorized, and recitation rules were taught. They are located immediately next to mosques, prayer houses, etc. In some Muslim states these institutions were also called “Dar al‑Qur’an” and “Dar al‑Huffaz”.