The Legend of Defterdar Mosque

Located in the Eyüp district of Istanbul, the Defterdar Mosque, also known as the Defterdar Mahmut Efendi Mosque, was commissioned in 1542 by the defterdar (chief finance secretary) Nazlı Mahmut Efendi. Accounts regarding the inception of this structure weave together the founder's profession and his deep passion for calligraphy into a legendary and cultural narrative.

The construction of the building was executed by the chief architect Mimar Sinan. In the same year, a primary school, a madrasa, and a fountain were built alongside the mosque. However, through the erosive flow of time, the school and the madrasa have not survived to the present day, whereas the fountain on the right side of the entrance door has managed to preserve its existence.

The architectural character of the mosque was shaped around symbolic ties established with the founder's professional identity. According to information found in historical sources, Defterdar Mahmud Çelebi was deeply interested in the art of calligraphy and practiced the six types of script from Şeyh Hamdullah. His love for calligraphy gave birth to the most striking detail of the building: instead of standard crescents, the mosque's finial features an ink pot and a pen.

The founder of the structure, Mahmud Çelebi, passed away in 1546. Following his death, an open-domed tomb was constructed on the qibla side of the mosque. The gravestone belonging to Mahmut Çelebi inside this tomb has unfortunately been lost in recent times.

Natural events have also left their mark on the history of the building over time. During a severe storm in 1997, the original ink pot and pen on the minaret's finial fell and broke. Having remained missing for many years, this iconic symbol was restored to its place when a new one was assembled on May 30, 2007.

Closed to worship as of November 2023, the Defterdar Mosque preserves its place in collective memory through ongoing restoration works. The poetic inscription dating back to 1541 located on the door of the mosque also belongs to its founder, Mahmud Çelebi.

Today, visitors who come to this sanctuary can observe the ink pot and pen figure reaching toward the sky, differing from classical mosque domes and finials. Through this unique professional and artistic symbol carried by the structure, visitors bear witness to the memories of the past and the tales told about it.