Descripción del sitio
This marker is part of an extended History of Islamic Architecture
Seyitgazi, Eskishehir
Seyyid Battal Gazi Takkiya
Bektasi Sufi Tekke
1208-1511
Seldjuk-Ottoman
The complex is dedicated to (Seyyid) Battal Gazi, an epic hero based on a warrior who fought with the Umayyad army against Byzantium and who is believed to have been martyred on the site. It is built into the eastern slopes of Üçler Hill overlooking Seyitgazi, a Turcoman village near the Roman-Byzantine settlement of Nicolea, which grew in size and in importance during the Ottoman period.
The complex as it appears today consists of domed masonry structures enveloping three sides of a terraced courtyard. The funerary madrasa of Ümmühan Hatun is located at the southwest corner, while the tomb of Battal Gazi, khanqah mosque and semahane form a cluster at the southeast corner.
The Seljuk complex was renovated and enlarged during the rule of Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II (1448-1512), establishing it as a convent (khanqah) of the Kalenderi sect. Revered by the larger Alevi, Bektasi and Ahi communities, the khanqah functioned as a Bektasi khanqah from the 17th century until its demise in the early 19th century.
The dervish cells and halls on the east and north sides of the courtyard are all equipped with furnaces; their numerous domes and chimneys dominate a dynamic skyline of the khanqah complex.
The tekke on its hill above the village (photos 1913)
Floor plan
Text, photos, and plan from Archnet.org