Şebsefa Hatun Mosque is a mosque located on Atatürk Boulevard in Unkapanı, in Istanbul’s Fatih district. It was commissioned by Şebsefa Fatma Hatun, the sixth consort (kadınefendi) of Sultan Abdulhamid I, in the last quarter of the 18th century. The mosque is part of a small-scale complex consisting of a cemetery (hazire), an elementary school (sıbyan mektebi), shops, and fountains.

^{Şebsefa Hatun Mosque (Photo: Melahat Pamuk)}

History

Şebsefa Fatma Hatun had this complex built in memory of her son Şehzade Mehmed, who died at an early age. Her other known child was Hibetullah Sultan. The mention of the names of three more of her children in the vakfiye strengthens—according to the records of Sicill-i Osmanî—the possibility that some princes and princesses whose mothers are not recorded may also have been her children.

The construction of the complex was completed in 1787, and the foundation charter (vakfiye) was drawn up and registered on 10 Receb 1202 (April 16, 1788). Şebsefa Hatun died in 1805 and was buried in the cemetery (hazire) of the mosque.

The Foundation and Revenues

According to the vakfiye, 128,500 kuruş were spent on the construction of the complex. Its sources of income included the rents of shops around the complex and shares allocated from the revenues of Sultan Abdulhamid I’s own foundations. With the supplementary vakfiye dated 1796, the revenues of some farms in Rumelia were also transferred to the foundation. Thus, the salaries of the complex staff were increased and the maintenance expenses of the buildings were secured.

The requirements of the foundation included the payment of officials’ salaries for the services of the mosque, the elementary school, and the cemetery; as well as the management of cleaning, maintenance, and repair works. In the 19th century, Goncater Kalfa, a member of the harem, also made additions to the foundation, allocating income especially for the recitation of stories about the Prophet Muhammad in the month of Rabi al-Awwal and for treating the public.

Architectural Features

The complex included a mosque, an elementary school, eight shops, a cemetery, and fountains. The mosque, based on the classical Ottoman mosque plan, was built with a single dome and a central space layout. Among the decorations in the interior, Quranic inscription bands and painted ornamentations (kalem işi) stand out. In the cemetery is also the tomb of Şebsefa Hatun.

During the Republican period, especially during the opening of Atatürk Boulevard and the urban planning regulations in the surrounding area, some parts of the complex were demolished. As a result of these arrangements, elements belonging to the complex such as shops and fountains did not survive to the present day.

^{Mosque Dome Decoration (Photo: Melahat Pamuk)}

Republican Period Arrangements

During the road-widening works carried out in the 1940s within the framework of Henri Prost’s city plans, significant parts of the complex were destroyed. Through expropriation procedures, part of the complex land was confiscated, and the integrity of the structure was disrupted in the process. With the opening of Atatürk Boulevard, much of the traditional fabric surrounding Şebsefa Hatun Mosque was lost.

Current Condition

Thanks to restorations, Şebsefa Hatun Mosque is today open for worship. However, the entire complex has not survived to the present, and only the mosque and the cemetery remain standing. As a late example of 18th-century Ottoman complex architecture, the structure constitutes a significant reference for both the waqf culture of Istanbul and the history of urban development.

^{Interior of the Mosque (Photo: Melahat Pamuk)}