Profiling Istanbul: Cengelkoy, the stories that live on through its monuments

Cengelkoy is among the most cherished locations of Istanbul, her story coming alive in food destinations, waterside mansions, masjids, fountains, a church, a military academy, and in one of the oldest cemeteries in Istanbul.

For the proud Istanbulite, Cengelkoy is a mixed experience of some historical monuments – some renovated and some completely new. For the intrepid traveller, the kind who likes to get to know the stories that have shaped a place, every turn offers you tales from different eras – the past and the present.

Cengelkoy ’s story begins here, at the very beginning of the main road, where you will be met by not a historic fountain but a very new one.

Built in honour and memory of the young men and women from Cengelkoy who sacrificed their lives defending the sovereignty of their nation while foiling the coup attempt on July 15, 2016 – the “15 Temmuz Sehitler Cesmesi” is very close to the hearts of the Turkish people.

Made of a single slab of marble, the fountain bears a saying of Prophet Muhammad at the front and two verses from the Quran at the back, written in traditional Islamic calligraphy and referencing the sanctity of the efforts of the martyrs, assuring all that they were not in vain.

In honour of the lost lives, the fountain pours rose water on all Islamic holy days, a continuation of the Ottoman literary and artistic tradition that held the rose to be the epitome of beauty in all forms.

The shoreline of the Istanbul Strait has undoubtedly been home to the most valuable monuments for centuries, whether palaces, government offices, embassies, schools, hotels, or private waterside mansions belonging to the most successful artists, writers, and business owners, among others.

And so, walking further along the new fountain, at the end of a narrow, nondescript road stand two of the most valued waterside mansions in Cengelkoy – Sadullah Pasa Yalisi and Abdullah Aga Yalisi. Despite standing side by side, their stories could not have been more different.

With its near-unaltered facade, the 18th-century Sadullah Pasa Yalisi appears straight out of a storybook. However, its beautiful crimson wood exterior and Ottoman-style shutters do not tell a tale of romance but one of generational tragedy.

Sadullah Pasha’s wife would suffer a mental breakdown. Rumour has it that she spent the rest of her life only wearing pink, his favourite colour on her, and roaming through the garden of their mansion in the doomed hope that one day he might emerge from beneath the branches of their trees.

Renovated by the widely-acclaimed architect Turgut Cansever, the room she spent most of her time in, called the Pink Room, has been kept the very same shade of pink.

In contrast, the story of Abdullah Aga Yalisi is one of great optimism. Born into a poor family of boatmen, Abdullah Aga would rise to the highest levels of government offices, eventually being able to purchase a much-coveted spot along the waterside.

He would be the one to commission the building of Hamdullah Pasha Mosque, right next door, at the entrance of the ‘Tarihi Cinaralti Cay Bahcesi’, after becoming aware of the boatmen’s and carriers’ need for a place to rest and practice their faith.

Though having remained unused for many years and needing restoration, it was finally renovated and repurposed as a restaurant in 2009. Now the grounds for ‘Sutis’, it hosts lively, large crowds daily.

As you make your way along the main road, right across the renowned patisserie Seval, you will find a seemingly odd protrusion of marble, with a faucet at the bottom and what might look like a turban on top.

Well – it is not a turban but rather a cabbage! As absurd as that may seem, it is, in fact, not pointless.

During the Ottoman Period, in the games played at Topkapı Palace, there were known to be two main sports teams, the “Lahanacılar” (Cabbage Growers) and the “Bamyacılar” (Okra Growers). This fountain, one of the two existing in all of Istanbul, was built to support the “Lahanacılar” team.

Further along, stands a large yellow stone wall. If you look up, you will glimpse Aya Yorgi Greek Orthodox Church standing behind the wall.

Laid in the courtyard of the church – built in 1830 – are several unmarked graves. In the garden area, there stands a two-storey house, originally built as a school in 1875. Despite the increasingly fewer Ottoman Greeks present in Cengelkoy, Sunday masses continue to be held every week, bringing together the Christian community. Also worthy of mention is the annual event called “Throwing the Cross”, symbolic of Christ’s baptism, which continues to occur on the 6th of January every year.

As you progress along the shoreline and pass the waterside hotel, ‘Sumahan’ – housed in a renovated 18th-century wine factory – you will come across another crimson-coloured masterpiece overlooking the water.

This time, its story is not one of tragedy, though. Kaymak Mustafa Pasa Camii was built by Mustafa Pasa in honour of his deceased mother in 1744.

During the day, its large windows mirror the deep blue of the waves, while at night, its lights make it a majestic sight, competing with the lights of the bridge or even the moonglade.

All year round, even if it is raining or snowing, you can find people either sitting in their cars or on their camp chairs, some fishing, others simply drinking tea and munching roasted sunflower seeds.

If you were to ask any one of them why they were there, their response is, more likely than not, to be the same: “Boğaz havası almaya geldik.” (We came to breathe in the air of the Bosphorus.)

Though this landmark marks the official end of Cengelkoy, our your would remain incomplete if you weren’t to walk up through the hill to the Cengelkoy cemetery, offering a panoramic view of the Istanbul Strait as well as the famous Vahdettin Mansion, where President Erdogan hosts foreign dignitaries now.

Before walking uphill, you may also choose to take a right turn, leading to the two most famous Ottoman mansions in Cengelkoy – Ahmet Arif Pasa Kosku and Macar Fevzi Pasa Kosku – the latter designed and renovated by Serdar Gulgun and featured in international publications, including Vogue, Architectural Digest, Elle, Marie Claire, and Cornucopia.

The road takes you directly to the Cengelkoy Cemetery, one of the 320 graveyards in Istanbul, yet among the oldest. As you walk through the street, suddenly, you will realise that the trees have changed from being predominantly chinar to cypress trees.

This is no coincidence – the Ottomans used cypress trees to mark the location of their cemeteries. There are three main reasons for this having been the case. First, its unique tear-drop shape was treated as being symbolic of the souls rising to the heavens. Second, given its shape, the blowing of the wind would create the unique sound, “Hu” meaning “He” or God in Arabic. As such, planting these trees was a way of praising the Divine. Finally, the roots of cypress trees are known for storing more oxygen and are believed to mask the smell from bodies of the deceased.

Another thing you will notice is the stark contrast between the Muslim and Christian cemeteries. Halil Inalcik, one of the most highly regarded Turkish historians, writes in ‘Istanbul: An Islamic City’ that the Muslim cemetery, unlike the Christian graveyard, reflects a sporadic, unplanned format, freely flowing with the terrain.

In fact, this is rooted in the Islamic faith approaching death not as a strict end but rather as a transition into a new level of being. As such, for Muslims, a grave is merely a transitory location – the souls of the deceased are questioned and carried to the other world by the angels within forty days of their burial.

Other than the trees and the unplanned nature of the cemetery, what draws attention is the names on the headstones – many of them renowned Turkish personalities, artists, politicians, writers and also the daughter of the last Ottoman sultan Vahdettin, Fatma Ulviye Sultan.

However, you will be most moved by the graves of children – standing as symbols for the unrealised hopes, dreams, and aspirations of devastated parents. The graves of these babies or toddlers will most often be in the shape of small rectangles and sometimes with a heart-shaped marble on top, bearing the child’s name, date of birth and death, followed by a short prayer.

The mosque in the middle of the cemetery, too, stands in memory of a short-lived life. The Kerem Aydinlar Mosque was built in memory of Kerem Aydınlar, son of the owner of a well-respected hospital chain in Istanbul, who passed away in a car accident at the young age of 25.

This brings me to mention a practice highly encouraged in Islam: the dedication of good deeds to the deceased. Muslims are expected to live consciously, aware of all their actions because they will be held accountable for them. Certainly, as the Quranic verse reveals, “My mercy prevails over my wrath”, God is known for His forgiveness.

As recorded in Islam’s holy book, the Quran, there is an angel on one’s right and another one on one’s left, writing everything down on what is referred to as their “amel defteri”, their book of deeds. As such, no Muslim is guaranteed paradise, but rather it is their actions, all recorded in their book of deeds, that determine their standing on the Day of Judgement. While a person’s book of deeds closes with death, if one’s loved ones dedicate actions that have been performed purely for the pleasure of God and the benefit of mankind in them, one’s book of deeds can remain open to receive the rewards that come through these acts of goodness. This is why all over Istanbul, you will find mosques, fountains, food houses etc., dedicated to the deceased. This way, the blessings reaped from the generosity of loved ones aid them in their journey of salvation.

It is with this very intention that this small mosque and the ‘sohbet evi’ – a space to bring people together to do good – were built. A gazebo and fountain built alongside it provide a resting place and a source of water for the cemetery caretakers and weary visitors who have walked up the steep hill.

Despite the overwhelming presence of death, some newly deceased, others long gone, there is a serene and soothing ambience within the gazebo.

The view from the gazebo is vast– the beautifully kept graves before it, followed by the magnificent grounds of the Vahdettin Mansion, all laid out against the profound backdrop of the Istanbul Strait, that bisects one of the busiest cities in the world. As ships pass by, visible for moments through the gaps between the trees, you will find yourself in deep contemplation, wondering about the transitory nature of life itself.

While death is a certainty for all, the loving memory of those who have passed lives on. Perhaps this is why there is a single, profound question the imam asks all attendees during a Muslim’s funeral procession.

“Nasıl bilirdiniz? Hakkınızı helal ediyor musunuz?” (How did you know him/her to be? Do you forgive him/her for any moral rights he may have over you?)

I leave you, too, with this question but with the promise of bringing more tales from Cengelkoy – this time about its locals. Speaking to the owners of Seval, there was much to reminisce about as well as much to cherish.

Up next: More on that which is long gone and that which endures within the social fabric of Cengelkoy.