During one of my trips to Istanbul, friends who live there suggested that I visit the Katip Sinan Mosque. It is located in the tourist heart of the city. I called it unique because it is, quite possibly, the only mosque in the world with a coffin on its roof. Yes, it sounds strange. Let’s figure out how it ended up in such an unexpected place.
History of the mosque
The Katip Sinan Mosque is one of the earliest religious buildings erected after the conquest of Constantinople. The original structure was built in 1496. By the first half of the 18th century it had fallen into ruin, and in 1739 a master named Rakım Efendi constructed the mosque that we see today. The architect of the 15th-century building is unknown.
The mosque’s most striking feature is a coffin-shaped structure on the roof. You can spot it if you look at the building from the north. According to a legend, Katip Sinan, a secretary of the imperial kitchen who financed the mosque, bequeathed that he should be buried in the dome of the building. His wish was not granted: he was buried in the garden of the complex. But the next morning, his body was found on the roof of the mosque. He was buried again, yet the same thing happened the following day. The townspeople took it as a miracle, built a sarcophagus on the roof, and buried him there.
I have also come across other versions of how the “coffin” appeared. Some sources say that the burial on the roof is purely symbolic and is meant to remind people about the fragility of life and the inevitability of death.
I call it a coffin-shaped structure because I don’t actually know whether a real coffin exists there and whether anyone is buried inside. It’s hard to tell visually: the protrusion on the roof is covered with metal.
The Katip Sinan Mosque is an active place of worship, and anyone can enter. As in other mosques in the city, visitors should follow a few rules: take off your shoes at the entrance and avoid entering in shorts or with bare shoulders. When I came in, there wasn’t a single person inside, so I could walk around the halls in peace.
How to get there
The mosque is located in the Fatih district. Not far from here are Istanbul’s main attractions — Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and the Basilica Cistern. It’s convenient to get to the Katip Sinan Mosque by the T1 tram. The closest stop is “Laleli – University,” and from there it’s about a three-minute walk.
Admission is free.
If you plan a trip to this part of the city, you can also add the Istanbul University Archaeological Museum or the Beyazıt Mosque to your route.
Enjoy your walks!
