Sultan Bayezid II Külliyesi Health Museum

The Sultan II. Bayezid Külliyesi Health Museum is a museum established by converting the darüşşifa (hospital) and medical madrasa sections of the Sultan II. Bayezid Külliyesi, located on the banks of the Tunca River in Edirne and built during the Ottoman period. These sections, part of a multifunctional complex that provided health care, education, worship, and social assistance during the Ottoman era, were restored by Trakya University and opened to the public in 1997 under the concept of a “living museum.” In 2004, the museum was awarded the European Museum Prize by the Council of Europe and presents Ottoman medicine, medical education, and social service concepts through immersive exhibits.

Sultan II. Bayezid Külliyesi Health Museum (Culture Portal) 

History

The foundation of the Sultan II. Bayezid Külliyesi was laid in 1484 by Sultan II. Bayezid before his campaign against Akkirman, and the complex was completed in 1488. Its architect was Hayrettin. At the time of its construction, the külliye functioned as a comprehensive public institution integrating health care, religious, educational, and social services. Over time, particularly from the 1800s onward, the darüşşifa gradually focused exclusively on the treatment of mental and neurological illnesses. It ceased operations after the Balkan Wars in the late Ottoman period and suffered damage.

Following conservation initiatives launched by Dr. Ratip Kazancıgil in the 1970s, all sections of the külliye except the mosque were assigned to Trakya University by the General Directorate of Foundations in 1984. After completing necessary restoration works, the university opened the darüşşifa section as the Health Museum in 1997. The medical madrasa section was incorporated into the museum in 2008, and the imaret section in 2020. The külliye was added to UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites in 2016.

Architectural Structure and Sections

Darüşşifa (Hospital)

The darüşşifa consists of two parts: a rectangular main building and an adjacent hexagonal section dedicated to mental and neurological disorders. In the southwest corner of the first courtyard, there are seven units, six covered by domes and one by a barrel vault. The hospital kitchen comprises four units: three domed and one barrel-vaulted. Around the iwan providing access to the second courtyard, there are units consisting of two rooms each. In the central hexagonal section, twelve units are arranged around a main hall containing a pool in its center. This section functioned as a treatment center where mental illnesses were addressed through music, the sound of water, and pleasant aromas.

Sultan II. Bayezid Külliyesi Health Museum (Culture Portal) 

Medical Madrasa

The medical madrasa, with a plan close to a square rectangle, comprises 18 rooms and one lecture hall arranged along three sides of a colonnaded courtyard. All units are covered by domes. The mahfil, accessible via a staircase on the right side of the entrance, was designed to allow students to observe clinical procedures. This madrasa held the status of a “sixty-student madrasa,” one of the highest-ranking medical education institutions of the Ottoman period. It operated with a staff of a müderris, assistants, a librarian, and 18 students.

Sultan II. Bayezid Külliyesi Health Museum (Culture Portal) 

Mosque

The mosque, with entrances from three sides, features a courtyard surrounded by domed arcades. The arcade arches rest on columns of granite, white marble, and green breccia. In the center of the courtyard is a şadırvan fountain, and a well is located in the floor. The prayer hall is covered by three domes, with the central dome higher than the others. The marble minbar and the hünkâr mahfili in the mosque’s prayer area are notable, as they are among the earliest examples of their kind in Ottoman architecture.

Sultan II. Bayezid Külliyesi Health Museum (Culture Portal) 

Tabhane (Guesthouse)

The tabhanes, located on either side of the mosque, follow a traditional plan consisting of four iwan and four rooms. These structures, common in Ottoman architecture of the 14th and 15th centuries, provided free accommodation and rest for travelers, patients in convalescence, and the unemployed.

Imaret and Aşhane (Kitchen)

To provide meals for guests, students, and patients, an imaret and aşhane were constructed on the left side of the külliye’s outer courtyard. These units are arranged as two architectural masses composed of domed rooms. The kitchen section is housed in a square building with four domes. The imaret was designed to serve an average of 250 to 300 people per day.

Museum Conversion Process and Current Status

After taking over the külliye in 1984, Trakya University restored the darüşşifa section and opened it to the public in 1997 as the Health Museum. The museum presents Ottoman medicine through immersive scenes depicting medical practices of the era, including treatments using water and music. The Istanbul Association for the Reintegration of Mental Patients contributed to the development of these interactive exhibits.

Sultan II. Bayezid Külliyesi Health Museum (Anadolu Agency)  

In 2008, the madrasa section was incorporated into the museum as the “Medical Madrasa,” where medical education and classroom environments are recreated with mannequins. In 2020, the imaret section was renovated and opened to visitors, thereby presenting social welfare practices and Ottoman culinary culture. Additionally, within the külliye, the Şerbet Evi offers traditional Ottoman sherbets and distributes meals to those in need.

Awards and International Recognition

The Sultan II. Bayezid Külliyesi Health Museum was awarded the European Museum Prize by the Council of Europe in 2004 and the Best Presentation Award by the Club of Excellence in Cultural Heritage in 2007. The külliye, included in UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites in 2016, is currently undergoing restoration, drainage, and landscape improvements to support its nomination for the permanent list. Today, the Health Museum operates daily and nightly as a “living museum,” actively presenting the Ottoman health care system to the public.

Sultan II. Bayezid Külliyesi Health Museum (Anadolu Agency)