The historical Vaniköy Mosque was nearly destroyed by a fire that gutted the building caused by a short circuit but is now prepared to reopen its doors after meticulous restoration conducted by Kalyon Holding as part of a project "Adherence to the City."
The 358-year-old waterfront mosque once hosted many sultans who would come by boat to perform prayers. As the 18-month renovations wind up, the mosque is prepared to greet Istanbuilites who wish to engage in worship from February onward.
As I had the chance to attend the tour of the restoration, the view of the mosque from its port side falls short of words. As the 100-year-old tree still stands tall and welcomes visitors at the entrance with its perfectly grotesque presence, one would never tire of the view in a thousand years. Also, it has a serene courtyard where the waves of the sea can be heard. I strongly believe that it will be an iconic meeting point after restoration, besides being a place of solace and worship.
Attending the field trip with press members, a member of the board of directors of Kalyon Foundation, Mehmet Kalyoncu, emphasized that they actualized many projects as part of the "Adherence to the City" concept to protect Türkiye's cultural heritage through a social responsibility approach, embracing humanitarian and conscientious devotion to the country.
Noting that they made a great effort for the restoration carried out with care, many materials that were recovered from the fire, stretching back hundreds of years, were used during the process and some of them are displayed in the mosque's courtyard. "We have brought the oak timbers from Yenice and marble from the Marmara Island, Dursunbey, and we have completed 90% of the restoration so far with original materials," Kalyoncu said.
"If we hadn't worked so meticulously, we couldn't have completed it so rapidly. However, our goal was to have the original structure in its most faithful form, rather than to finish it quickly. We aim to complete the rest in four weeks,” he added.
Mainly made of wood, the mosque was built by Vani Mehmet Efendi, a Turkish scholar who was summoned to Istanbul by Sultan Mehmed IV after the sermons he gave throughout the country. After that, Mehmet Efendi attended the communes of Sultan Mehmed IV and trained many şehzades (princes).
The region where Vaniköy Mosque is located was granted to Mehmet Efendi by Sultan Mehmed IV to establish a Turkish village. Since Mehmed Efendi was born and raised in Van, he was referred to as "Vani," roughly referring to the person who is from Van province. Since this area was governed by Vani Mehmed Efendi, it has been transformed into "Vaniköy," or Vani's village. According to historical records, a madrasah, fountain and many mansions were built in the district, and the Vaniköy Mosque, the well-known structure of the area, was added to the sultan's lodge and pavilion in the 18th century by the order of Sultan Mahmud I.
Publishing many prominent works, Mehmet Efendi's collection of letters that were sent to the period's statespersons are currently stored at the Hagia Sophia Library in a book.
Explaining that the ground floor of the Hünkar Pavilion will be used as a library, Kalyoncu said, “There are approximately 1,600 works here. Our library, which was founded with careful selections, will be open to everyone who visits the mosque. Besides being a place of worship, Vaniköy Mosque has also served as a socializing spot for years. We will regain this feature with the library we have prepared."
The restoration team also retained some original parts of the historical mosque, as well as wooden ligaments, covering them with epoxy and reusing them in the lighting of the mosque's courtyard. For this reason, while reviving the mosque physically, attention has been paid to restoring the mosque's history, city memory and cultural heritage, apart from the building as a whole.
