摘要: Description　　Located on the north shore of the Tunca River in Edirne, the second capital of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Bayezid II Külliyesi (complex) consists of a mosque, tabhanes (guest-houses), a m

Description

　　Located on the north shore of the Tunca River in Edirne, the second capital of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Bayezid II Külliyesi (complex) consists of a mosque, tabhanes (guest-houses), a madrasah, (medical school), darüşşifa (hospital), imaret (soup kitchen-cellar), pharmacy, and food-storage areas. The main center of the Külliye, however, is the darussifa (hospital) and madrasa (medical school). The other constructed units were built to complete the hospital service in social, cultural, religious and financial aspects. The Bayezid Khan Bridge over the Tunca River, built to connect the külliye to the city.

　　The construction of the Külliye started in 1484 by the order of Sultan Bayezid II (AD 1447/48–1512) and was completed in 1488. There are several opinions as to the identity of the architect. According to some researches, the complex was built by the architect Hayrettin who constructed many important structures in the period of Sultan Bayezid II. The others claimed that it was built by the architect Yakub Shah.

　　Sultan Bayezid II, the son of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror Fatih, had a qualified education and always gave importance to public works during his time. The Sultan was also known as ‘’Bayezid-ı Veli’’ because of the importance he gave to “charity” work. Sultan Bayezid II Külliyesi (complex) which is a foundational work was built so as to meet the requirements of the physical and mental treatments of the patients as well as the possible socio-cultural needs of the patients and their relatives in accordance with the understanding of a “Holistic Medicine” approach.

　　A brief description of the major components of the complex is as follows:

　　Darüşşifa (the Hospital):

　　As the principal aim of the complex built by Sultan Bayezid II is to be established a hospital in Edirne, the most important unit of the complex is Darüşşifa. It consists of three sections with central plans. In the first courtyard, there were six outpatient rooms and service rooms serving as kitchen, laundry, and şurup room (laboratory). The four rooms in the second courtyard were the administrative rooms. The third part was the inpatient section called şifahane.

　　The rooms are placed opposite to each other along the first courtyard of Darüşşifa which has a rectangular shape. There are service rooms such as kitchen, cellar, and laundry room to the east of the first courtyard and a system of arched colonnades with seven sections to the west. Six of the seven rooms behind these colonnades are the domed polyclinic rooms. It is stated in various resources that at least one of these rooms is the guardroom and that mental patients with severe conditions are held under isolation in one of these rooms. The kitchen at the first courtyard of the Darüşşifa separate from the large kitchen at the imaret which is another unit of the külliye used to serve only the patients. The meals of the patients were prepared separately from others under the control of their doctors. Each patient had a different diet in order to balance the “four fluids of the body” and to treat their disease in accordance with the understanding of “holistic medicine”.

　　The passage from the first courtyard to the rectangular second courtyard is made via the cross vaulted entry. There are rectangular halls covered with two domes each on both sides of this entry. The large halls here were probably used for different purposes such as “women’s ward, pharmaceutical storage, cellar, etc.” There are two rooms opposite to each other to the east and west in the second courtyard as well as iwans located in the middle of these rooms. Some sources indicate that the rooms bound to the first courtyard wall are pharmacies, whereas the rooms next to the şifahane are surgery rooms. These rooms could also be reserved for the high level medical staff works.

　　The inpatient section, which is called şifahane (cure-house), has an outstanding architectural style. The building is passed through a broken arched door. This section was built with a central hexagonal plan. There are spaces with iwan which functions as summer patient rooms opening to the central hexagonal space at the side of each section. The central plan applied here is the first among its predecessors and contemporaries that eases patient follow up significantly for the doctors. The iwan and each of the square rooms surrounding the central space are covered with domes. The central space is also covered with a larger dome. This spherical dome is a dodecagon structure resting on five lines of stalactites. There is an arched window on each face. There is a lighting lantern right at the center of the dome which also functions as a ventilation device. The windows and chimney systems at the şifahane along with the lantern and ventilation on the central dome have been completed in a very successful manner. Thus, the lighting and ventilation system at the Darüşşifa are among the most advanced and successful examples of the time.

　　There is a polygonal marble şadırvan (water tank with a fountain) right under the dome. It is also thought that the şadırvan is placed right at the center not only to provide water but also to ensure that patients can benefit from its relaxing sound during their treatment. On the other hand, the iwan in the southern direction has been extended outwards via a semi-dome thus obtaining a pentagonal area. This area has a high platform formed of block rocks. Musicians perform on this platform to support the treatment of the patients accompanying the sound of flowing water. The building also has excellent acoustics because music and water sounds from the fountain were used in the treatment of mentally ill patients. The acoustic characteristics allow the music to be heard through the patient rooms.

　　Darüşşifa used to serve a wide range of people. Patients from the wide geographical coverage of the Empire encompassing the Balkans used to come here. In addition to the inpatients, the doctors working at the darüşşifa also used to go to the houses of patients to provide treatment. The drugs required for the outpatients at the polyclinics of the Darüşşifa were prepared by the pharmacists of the complex and were provided to all the patients free of charge just like all the other services.

　　Madrasah (Medical School):

　　Medical education in the Ottoman period was provided under the structure of hospitals and through a master-apprentice relationship. Located at the northeastern corner of the Darüşşifa, the building has a classical madrasah plan schema with colonnaded gardens surrounded by eighteen student cells covered with domes. There is also a mahfil (gathering place) in this classroom where students can follow the courses. This section is also considered to have been used for the practice of students’ medical education which distinguishes this madrasah from others. It is also known that the students did not only receive medical education here but also other positive sciences. Those students who completed their fundamental education at the madrasah could continue their theoretical and practical medical education at the Darüşşifa. The library of the madrasah contained the most important books and manuscripts on medicine of the period including ‘’Kanun’’, ‘’Minhacü’l Beyan’’, ‘’Müfredat-ı İbn-i Baytar’’, ‘’Şerh-i Aylaki’’, ‘’Kitab-ı Adab el-Tıp’’, ‘’Zahire-i Harzemşahhi’’, ‘’Şifaü’l eskam ve Devaü’l alam’’, ‘’Kitabu Edebü’t-Tabib’’. These are now under protection at the Edirne Selimiye Mosque Library of Manuscripts. The conditions for the use of books by students along with the responsibilities of the librarian have been provided in detail in the foundation deeds.

　　The Mosque:

　　Located at the center of the külliye, the mosque raises as a cubic block with its dome with a diameter of 20.55 meters. It is a monumental work among the single domed mosques with regard to the diameter of its dome and the architectural system that carries the dome. There is no foot-column system. Instead, the dome has been placed directly on the walls. The mihrab (shrine or altar) and the mimbar of the mosque have been built plainly of marble. There is an elegant mahfil (gathering place) for the sovereignty placed on marble columns to the right of the mihrab. The mosque has a classical serene internal space thanks to these structural elements. The woodworking on the interior doors and windows is among the best examples of Ottoman woodworking. There is a large courtyard in front of the mosque with an elegant gazebo in its center.

　　Tabhanes (Hospice for travelers, guest-house):

　　There are two tabhanes with nine lower domes located at the east and west of the mosque. The patients who were discharged from the Darüşşifa after being treated used to spend their recuperation periods at these spaces to benefit from the peaceful environment provided by the natural landscape around. The relatives of the patients could also stay at these tabhanes free of charge. The tabhanes were open to all travelers who came to the city or those who wished to rest while passing through the city. The visitors who were not patients could stay for three days at these tabhanes free of charge. The guests who stayed there during this period could eat at the imaret. In this regard, the külliye also had units that functioned as a hospital hotel.

　　İmaret (Soup-kitchen):

　　Located at the very eastern end of the külliye, the imaret units consist of two large blocks for the units of kitchen, fodlahane (bakery) mumhane, (candle house), cellar, storage area and stable. The kitchen at the imaret served the residents of the surrounding neighborhoods, guests residing at the tabhane as well as all the külliye staff. Gastronomy was an important issue since it affected not only the physical status of the patients and the külliye staff but also their emotional and mental status. It is known that the ingredients of the meals prepared here helped preserve the physical and mental balances of the staff that needed to be patient, understanding and good humored by nature of their duties.

　　Located along the Tunca River, the Külliye has been built within a modest, calm and peaceful landscape. It was designed as a plain stone structure and with hundred domes of different sizes amidst the green landscape surrounding the river. The gardens inside the courtyard support the treatment of the patients. The outer walls of the külliye have been built low enough so that they will not isolate the patients from the outside, but high enough to control the entries to the darüşşifa and madrasah. Even though outside the courtyard walls, the bridge is also part of the complex that connects it to the city. The bridge with five pointed arches was also constructed by the cut limestone like all other units of the külliye.

　　There were a total of 167 people employed at the külliye at the time of its foundation. According to the records of the year 1617, the number of staff increased to 228 including doctors, ophthalmologists, book keepers, nurses, mudarris, hodjas, imams, cooks, halva makers, cleaners, time keepers. Sultan Bayezid II has provided many foundational estates in order to ensure that the finances required for the high quality services are given here are met. The immovable properties at Edirne, İstanbul and the Balkans in addition to many villages in Anatolia and the Balkans are among these.