A Friend of God

By Büsra İpekçi - Today's Zaman - Istanbul, Turkey
Saturday, February 16, 2007

Aziz Mahmut Hüdayi: Advisor to sultans, a friend to the people

Going up the hill above Üsküdar, you may come across the Aziz Mahmut Hüdayi Asitanesi -- as the main lodge and gathering place of a Sufi order used to be called. It is one of the most frequently visited and prominent religious monuments of İstanbul's Asian side.

This lodge is actually a part of a complex that exemplifies the Tanzimat architectural style, which flourished in the second half of the 19th century. It is located within the courtyard of the mosque that bears the name of Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi, which spreads over a large space with no unity in its design, since different parts of the complex were built in different times.

The exact date of the tomb's construction remains unknown, but according to historical accounts it was Aziz Mahmut Hüdayi himself who bought the land and had the complex built in 1598, upon his arrival from the town of Bursa, where for years he had served his sheikh, Muhammad Uftade.

Located beyond the main street and surrounded by modern apartments, the modesty of Aziz Mahmut's tomb is in harmony with the humble personality of this friend of God.

Aziz Mahmut's wooden sarcophagus lies at the center of the tomb, surrounded by gilt iron railings. The sarcophagi of his five sons, four daughters and granddaughter are also located around him.

The small, rectangular tomb's single dome, standing on four marble columns, is adorned with classical Ottoman-style ornaments. It is made up of piled stones. The upper parts of the walls of the tomb, which is lighted by seven large windows as well as a Venetian-style chandelier hanging at the center of the dome, are decorated with several inscriptions.

The dome consists of 13 equal segments, which also appear on the dark green top part of Aziz Mahmud's green turban, symbolic of the Sufi order he founded.

The complex, excluding the tomb, underwent major restoration after a fire in 1850. The tomb itself was renovated based on its original architectural plan in 1855 by Sultan Abdülmecid Khan.

There were also restorations in 1950, 1954 and 1990. The leaden coverings of the dome were stolen in 1962 and later replaced by türbedar (tomb keeper) Mustafa Düzgünman, who served this saint of God for over two decades and who was one of the greatest masters of paper marbling.

The glass-covered entrance to the tomb is through a small room that was built in 1918. There is also a marble well on the right side of the tomb's entrance According to many people -- and many books that give accounts of real Sufi stories -- the wells in every asitane are miraculously connected with the well of Zamzam in Mecca.

Aziz Mahmut's spiritual presence draws tens of thousands of people from across Turkey every year.

People flock to Üsküdar's Doğancılar quarter, eagerly climbing the stairs or the cobble-stone hills to visit this saint of God, paying their homage to him by reciting the Holy Quran and hoping that the supplications they make in his presence will be accepted by God for his sake.

Ahmet Yıldırım, 71, one of these visitors, says: "I came to İstanbul from Rize solely with the purpose of visiting [Aziz Mahmut]. A total uninterrupted divine peace and tranquility encompasses me in his presence here."

It has also become a tradition for people to leave sugar and bread to be distributed to visitors as if they are gifts from the saint himself. The lady at the entrance smiles, saying: "People used to leave Turkish delight before, but now they only bring lumps of sugar. Nevertheless, people eat it as if it is the best sweet."

Still showing the way for sailors
Aziz Mahmut Hüdayi was and is still known to work many wonders. He once set out to sea from Üsküdar on a small boat to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Blue Mosque on a very stormy day and made it to Sarayburnu (Seraglio Point) in safety, with all the waves becoming placid along the route he took.

The route he followed is still known as the "Hüdayi route" and some old boatmen still follow it in harsh weather conditions.

Meanwhile, Aziz Mahmut is also known for his Sufi poems. He has 23 known works written both in verse and prose. His divan has also been published. His manuscripts are preserved at the Üsküdar Hacı Selim Ağa Library. His tomb welcomes visitors throughout the week.

Who is Aziz Mahmut Hüdayi?
Born in 1541 in Çorum's Koçhisar village, Aziz Mahmut, a Turkish patron saint from Anatolia, spent his childhood in the Sivrihisar village of Aksaray. He is a descendant of Junayd-i Baghdadi -- dubbed "The Master of all Sufis" -- and thus a sayyid -- a title given to male descendants of the Prophet Mohammed through his grandson Husayn, the son of Ali.

His real name is Mahmut. Aziz Mahmut was the founder of the Jelveti Sufi order, which bears some resemblances with the Khalwati order since the orders are so close to each other through the lineage of the Sufi masters.

Aziz Mahmut was the spiritual mentor of Sultan Ahmet I.
According to some accounts, the people of İstanbul flocked to the streets on the day he died in 1628.

He has been a renowned Sufi amongst the spiritual guides with his divan -- his collection of poems -- as well as his talks. As he was endowed with the sciences of both the inward and outward worlds, he was a guide to sultans during his lifetime and a shelter for all those in need of guidance in both worldly and spiritual matters.

Before becoming a beloved spiritual guide, Aziz Mahmut was the supreme religious judge (qadi) of Bursa and was called Qadi Mahmut Efendi. He then became a disciple of Sheikh Muhammad Üftade after settling a matter in his court that utterly puzzled him spiritually, forcing him to question his outward knowledge.

Due to a series of events that followed this questioning process, he renounced his rank and started selling livers hanging from a stick while wearing his qadi robe and turban to tame his ego.

His sheikh then gave him the titles aziz (dear, beloved) and hüdayi (one who guides people into the straight path).

He educated many disciples at his lodge in Üsküdar until his passing in 1628.