A hexagonal, domed ashlar tomb in Göynük built in 1464 for Akşemseddin, teacher of Mehmed the Conqueror; inside is a walnut sarcophagus carved with relief script.
Akşemsettin Tomb is a place (Madrasa and tomb) in Turkey, Bolu. Main periods: Ottoman Period.
On Akşemseddin Street in the Cuma quarter of Göynük, in Bolu province, a hexagonal building of cut stone stands under a dome. It was put up years after the conquest of Constantinople, in memory of the conqueror’s own teacher.
History
Akşemseddin died in 1459. His pupil Mehmed the Conqueror had a tomb built for him in 1464 (AH 864). Akşemseddin was born in Damascus in 1390, came to Anatolia with his father at seven and settled at Kavak near Samsun. After his father’s death he went on studying, took up medicine along with the religious sciences, and became a müderris, a teacher at a madrasa, in Osmancık. He later gave up the post, travelled to Ankara and joined Hacı Bayram-ı Veli as a pupil, seeking to advance in Sufism. He is remembered as the sultan’s teacher and as the spiritual conqueror of Istanbul.
Architecture
The tomb is of ashlar, hexagonal in plan and covered by a dome. On each side of the walls, rectangular windows sit inside a pointed-arched niche. The windows of the second row have pointed arches and plaster tracery. The entrance lies at the north-east corner within a pointed-arched niche, and a building inscription can be read in its pediment.
Inside stand the sarcophagi of Akşemseddin and his sons. His own is of walnut, ornamented with relief lettering, and counts as a fine piece of Ottoman woodwork.
Visiting
Conditions can change, so see the official page for current information.
Gallery
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Akşemsettin Tomb?
Who built it?
Who was Akşemseddin?
What kind of building is it?
What is inside?
Sources (6)
- Akşemsettin Türbesi / Akşemseddin Tomb (TR ve EN sayfalar) — T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı, Müzeler ve Ören Yerleri
- Akşemseddin Tomb (Wikidata Q109366855) — Wikidata
Photo credits
- Photo: Muhsin Kadıoğlu, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons (resized)
- Photo: Yozer1, CC BY-SA 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons (resized)
- Photo: Muhsin Kadıoğlu, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons (resized)
- Photo: Muhsin Kadıoğlu, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons (resized)
