An oasis of calm in an otherwise chaotic İstanbul: The Hacı Hüsrev Mosque

To one side of this old mosque lie the historical walls of Byzantium, while on the other side lies a modern highway. Across from it is the Golden Horn. The structure is made of stone and is actually in many ways quite modest. Most importantly, the Hacı Hüsrev Mosque offers up a unique island of calm and serenity for those who need a break from the rapid pace of İstanbul that races around them. In order to reach this mosque, you must head to the district of Eyüp, and from there, when you see the signs for Feshane and Ayvansaray, turn right immediately and park your car.

The moment you step into what may appear at first to be the very carefully kept grounds of a park, you will be struck by the beauty of the red roses, which may cause you to leave your cares and fatigue at the entranceway. This garden is full of fruit trees and flowers. Walk a bit further and the mosque you are looking for will be on your right. You might want to stop first at the tombs of the companions of Prophet Muhammad though. Pass the fountain to reach the tombs and look to your right.

You will see a small wall on which “La ilahe illallah Muhammedun resulullah” is written.

After passing through the gate in this wall, you will have arrived at the tomb of Shaybah al-Khudri, the “milk brother” of the Prophet Muhammad. Next to this tomb are the tombs of Abu Ahmed al-Ansari and Hamidullah al-Ansari, both companions of the Prophet. And of course, at the end of where these tombs lie, there is another notable resting spot, this one of the martyr Toklu İbrahim Dede. You may encounter the keeper of these tombs, Mehmet Cürmen, who reads the Quran from morning to evening every day nonstop. “It is a gift from God that I am able to be here,” Cürmen says.

Right next to the mosque lies yet another tomb. This is Ka’b’s tomb. He, too, was a companion of the Prophet. This tomb looks like a tiny little mosque. In one corner of this tomb lies the empty coffin of Ka’b, while there is also an area to pray and even a mihrab (niche showing the direction of Mecca). But what about the Hacı Hüsrev Mosque?

The Hacı Hüsrev Mosque is located across the Golden Horn with the historical walls of Byzantium on one side and a modern highway on the other.

It is not quite clear exactly when this mosque was built, although the date on the Mehmet Ağa fountain that lies right next to it -- built in 1691 -- gives us an idea. And making things even more complicated, this mosque was originally not even here, since it was badly damaged in a fire that took place in the 1970s. The mosque was rebuilt here by government decree after the nearby bridge over the Golden Horn was built in 1988.

The path to the mosque lies between the Mehmet Ağa and Hacı İbrahim Efendi fountains. Just like its exterior, the interior to the mosque is both simple and serene. The windows on the left open up to the Golden Horn while those on the right give you a view of the Byzantine walls. I began to dream while looking out the windows, but was interrupted by a voice asking me if I wanted to have some tea. It was someone who works at the mosque -- apparently this place is also a tea stop and almost everyone who comes and visits is offered tea. Unable to say no, I sat at a table in the garden and conversed with the mosque’s imam, Emin Kır, as well as mosque attendants Serdar Yalnız, Kurtuluş Kiremitçioğlu and Mustafa Osmanoğlu.

The imam said, “This mosque is a world of serenity.” He noted that people visit here not just to pray, but to find some peace and quiet. This was exactly what I saw there that day. Kır told me he has been an imam here for four years now. One of the first things he did upon becoming the imam here, leaving a mosque in Alibeyköy, where he had been for the previous 20 years, was to set up the tea station. Now, partially as a result of this new addition to the mosque, there is a regular crowd of people who visit to come and talk in the garden here. The conversations are sometimes liable to go on into the early hours of the night. What’s more, Kır had a shower built in the garden for people such as alcoholics and drug addicts to come and get cleaned up, as well as to find serenity. Clothing is donated to those who find themselves in tough times by regulars of the mosque’s community. “At least when they come here, they are far away from alcohol and other bad influences in their lives,” Kır notes.