Kızlarağası Madrasa

The madrasas with great importance in Islamic science life started to be built after the 11th century and played a significant role in educating numerous scholars.

An education equal to the higher education today was given at the madrasa. It is known that more than 500 madrasas were available in the 19th century in Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire. One of these madrasas is Kızlarağası Madrasa in Alemdar neighbourhood of Fatih.

Kızlarağası Madrasa, also known as Mehmet Aga Madrasa, was built in 1582 as a part of a social complex consisting of a mosque, a school of Hadith, and fountain bathhouse, tomb and dervish's lodge. The responsible person for the harem section of this madrasa was recorded as Mehmet Aga. The characteristic of Mehmet Aga which made him as important as to be mentioned on the records was that he was the first eunuch coming from Ethiopia state of the Ottoman Empire on the Red Sea Shore in Africa.

With its closed yard, the madrasa consists of 11 cubicles where the students stayed and one classroom. The square-plan classroom is closed with an elegant dome. The madrasa building has survived with many of its original parts such as doors and windows and has been recently revived with a comprehensive restoration.

Located on a nice street and functioning as a culture centre, Kızlarağası Madrasa is among the city's interesting historical destinations.