Ebussuud Efendi Sıbyan Mektebi

Ebû's-Su'ud Efendi Sıbyan Mektebi is an educational structure built in the mid-16th century in the Eyüpsultan district of İstanbul, featuring characteristics of classical Ottoman architecture and founded by the statesman and Shaykh al-Islām Ebû's-Su'ud Efendi.

^{Ebusuud Efendi Kabri} (T.C. Eyüpsultan Kaymakamlığı)

The building is located within Eyüp Square, along Camii Kebir Street. Behind the mekteb stands the Saçlı Abdülkâdir Efendi Camii, and to its left is the Sokullu Mehmed Paşa Türbesi. Following the removal of the adjacent Eski Kavaşar Street, the building now has direct access to the square.

The mekteb was constructed using a brick-and-stone masonry system with regular cut stones. Its roof is covered with a wooden structure featuring wide eaves. The building, designed in the classical style, lacks an original construction inscription. It underwent a restoration in 1957 that adhered closely to its original form.

Although the exact construction date of the mekteb is unknown, the oldest gravestone in the adjacent cemetery bears the date 970 AH (1562 CE), indicating that the building was completed prior to this date. The founder, Ebû's-Su'ud Efendi, was born in 1490 in İskilip and served as Shaykh al-Islām for 29 years from 1545 to 1574. Ebû's-Su'ud Efendi, who died in 982 AH (1574 CE), is buried in a tombstone with an Arabic inscription in the cemetery directly in front of the mekteb he founded.

Ebû's-Su'ud Efendi’s father, İskilipli Yavsi Muhyiddin Mehmed Efendi, and his grandfather, Mustafa İmâdi—brother of the Turkish scholar Ali Kuşçu—were both prominent figures. Ebû's-Su'ud Efendi left behind a total of 22 endowments. In addition to the mekteb, he commissioned a mosque in İskilip and a türbe for his father. In Istanbul, he had a bathhouse and a fountain constructed near Çapa, and established the water supply line known as “Ebû's-Su'ud Efendi Suyu.” The bathhouse, designed by Mimar Sinan, has not survived to the present day. Records also indicate that he built a seaside pavilion in Sütlüce and a farm in the Metris/500 Evler region, as well as a zaviye and a sebil adjacent to the mekteb in Eyüp.

During his tenure as a teacher and state official, Ebû's-Su'ud Efendi trained numerous students who became leading figures in Ottoman intellectual and literary circles. Among them are Hoca Sadeddin Efendi, Bostan Zade Mehmed Efendi, Sunullah Efendi, Kınalı-Zâde Hasan Çelebi, the poet Baki, Âşık Çelebi, Hâce-i Sultani Ataullah Efendi Şeyhi, and Zenbillizâde Fudeyl Efendi.

The cemetery of Ebû's-Su'ud Efendi Sıbyan Mektebi contains the graves of the founder Ebû's-Su'ud Efendi, his family, and numerous state officials, scholars, and local notables who died between the 16th century and the early 20th century.

Five large tombstones belonging to the Ebû's-Su'ud Efendi family are present; four are inscribed without text, and one bears an Arabic inscription.

• Ebû's-Su'ud Efendi (d. 1574),
• Şemseddin Ahmed Çelebi (d. 1563),
• Müderris Mustafa Efendi (d. 1599),
• Mehmed Çelebi (d. 1760),
• Ebû's-Su'ud Efendi Zâde Mustafa Efendi (d. 1697),
• Ebû's-Su'ud Efendi bin Mehmed, the teacher Sa'deddin Yahya Efendi, son of Ahmed Efendi (d. 1717),
• Hace Şerife Fatma Hanım (d. 1737),
• İsâ-Zâde Mehmed Sa'düddin Efendi (d. 1867),
• Hadice Şerife Peyker Hanım (d. 1889),
• Refia Hanım, wife of Rıza Safvet Bey (d. 1892),
• Daughter of İsâ-Zâde (d. 1902).

İbrahim Sa'ib Paşa (d. 1848) and his family are buried in a high stone platform on the left side of the cemetery. This group includes:

• Fatma Hanım, wife of Sa'ib Efendi (d. 1833),
• Naşide Hanım (d. 1839),
• Ratıbe Hanım (d. 1843),
• Halil Berri Bey (d. 1853),
• Münire Ayşe Hanım (d. 1854),
• Asiye Hanım (d. 1855),
• Fatma Hanım (d. 1865),
• Hafize Hanım, wife of İbrahim Sa'id Paşa (d. 1849),
• Yenişehir Mollası Seyyid Ömer Efendi (d. 1745),
• Mehmed Emin Efendi, secretary to the Shaykh al-Islām (d. 1779),
• Halil Hilmi Efendi, inspector of the Emtia customs house (d. 1803),
• Ayşe Hanım (d. 1842),
• İbrahim Efendi, chief accountant of the Başmuhasebe (d. 1792),
• Arif Hıfzı Bey (d. 1823),
• Mehmed Said Efendi, from the Mevkufat office (d. 1834),
• Şerife Fatma Hanım, wife of Sadr-ı esbak Abdullah Paşa (d. 1835),
• İsmail Paşa, Mirliva of the Topçular (d. 1860),
• Mehmed Şakir Efendi, kethüda of the Yanya kapu (d. 1867),
• Ali Rıza Refik Bey, şehir emini and Sadaret müsteşarı,
• Mirliva Giridli Hasan Bey (d. 1898).

• İbrahim Nâşid Beyefendi, Şeyhi of Okmeydanı (d. 1866),
• Hattat Mehmed Vahdeti Efendi (d. 1871),
• Ayşe Hanım, wife of Eyyub Arif Efendi, teacher at the Mekteb-i İdadiye-i Şahane (d. 1866),
• Osman Şadi Efendi, a prominent Melami (d. 1919),
• Şerife Ümmügülsüm Hanım, wife of Mehmed Emin Resâ Efendi, scribe of the Divân-ı Hümâyun (d. 1788),
• Mehmed Arif Efendi, son of Mustafa Ağa (d. 1788),
• Yağcı-Zâde Mustafa Ağa (recorded twice: d. 1824 and 1847),
• Hattat Mehmed Arif (d. 1824),
• Şakir Efendi, supplier to Eyüp Sultan (d. 1833),
• Saraylı Mahpeyker Ayşe Hanım, wife of Silahdar Mehmed Ağa (d. 1834),
• Attar Elhac Mustafa Ağa (d. 1848),
• Hurşid Efendi (d. 1851),
• Ahmed Celaleddin Bey, migrant from Mora (d. 1879),
• Mahmud Rıza Bey (d. 1887),
• Ahmed Efendi, merchant of glass and mirrors (d. 1908),
• Habibe Hanım (d. 1898),
• Tahir Kapudan (d. 1886).^【1】