
Selamsız is a quarter in
Üsküdar
Üsküdar () is a municipality and district of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 35 km2, and its population is 524,452 (2022). It is a large and densely populated district on the Anatolian (Asian) shore of the Bosphorus. It is border ...
district on the Asian side of
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
, Turkey. It corresponds more or less to the current officially recognized neighborhoods of
Selamiali and
Muratreis. These neighborhoods are bounded on the north by
Sultantepe, on the north and northeast by
İcadiye, on the east by
Altunizade, on the south by
Valide-i Atik, and on the west by
Mimarsinan.
The name ''selamsız'' means "without a
selam" or "not giving a greeting; rude." The name comes from the
Sheikh
Sheikh ( , , , , ''shuyūkh'' ) is an honorific title in the Arabic language, literally meaning "elder (administrative title), elder". It commonly designates a tribal chief or a Muslim ulama, scholar. Though this title generally refers to me ...
Selami Ali, who gave his name to a
mosque
A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard.
Originally, mosques were si ...
, a
dervish lodge, a
public bath
Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...
, and a
public fountain in the quarter. Selami Ali was called Selamsız because he was known for not looking at or greeting people when he was in public.
Romani
Selamsız is one of the historic
Romani (Turkish-Gypsy) settlements of Istanbul, along with
Sulukule,
Çürüklük,
Küçükbakkalköy,
Tophane, Çayırboyu, and Lonca, and has been since the 1700s. However, 5000 Romanis are reported to have been evicted from the area in 1996, because they were living in
shanty buildings which the municipality planned to demolish and rebuild according to standards. According to a Council of Europe report, in 2011 the Romani population of the quarter was about 1,400 in 310 households.
The oldest Romani group are the Tekkekapolo and the Kağıtçılar (Papermaker), recorded since 1730-1735, later after 1923 the semi-nomadic Badırmalıdes, came in the quarter.
Hindiler Tekkesi
Mostly Turkish Roma, are members of the Hindiler Tekkesi a
Qadiriyya
The Qadiriyya () or the Qadiri order () is a Sunni Sufi order (''Tariqa'') founded by Abdul Qadir Gilani (1077–1166, also transliterated ''Jilani''), who was a Hanbali scholar from Gilan, Iran.
The order, with its many sub-orders, is widesp ...
-
Tariqa
A ''tariqa'' () is a religious order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking , which translates as "ultimate truth".
A tariqa has a (guide) who plays the ...
, founded in 1738 by the Indian Muslim Sheykh Seyfullah Efendi El Hindi in Selamsız.
Sights
Mosques and dervish lodges
Mosque
A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard.
Originally, mosques were si ...
s in the area include Selami Ali Mosque (1965), Kara Alaattin Mosque (also known as Kara Kadı (Black Judge) Mosque and Çingene Fırın (Gypsy Oven) Mosque; present building constructed after 1937), Gonca Gül Mosque (2001), Şuca Ahmet Pasha Mosque (1692), Fevziye Hatun Mosque (1882), Ayazma
Mescit (1982), and Fatma Hatun Mescit (present building constructed after 1887).
Dervish lodges in the area include Feyzullah Efendi Lodge (also known as the Hindiler (Indians) Lodge) and Acıbadem Lodge (sometimes called the Selâmi Ali Efendi Lodge).
Cemeteries and tombs
The biggest cemetery in the neighborhood is
Bülbülderesi Cemetery. There are also tombs and small cemeteries scattered throughout the neighborhood, usually near mosques and dervish lodges, for instance, the tomb of Köstendili Ali Efendi and the grave of Hadice Hanım (commonly called the tomb of "Selâmsız Baba"), both near the Acıbadem Lodge.
Churches
Churches in the area include the İlya Profiti (Prophet
Elijah
Elijah ( ) or Elias was a prophet and miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Ahab (9th century BC), according to the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible.
In 1 Kings 18, Elijah defended the worsh ...
)
Greek Orthodox Church
Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Christianity in Greece, Greek Christianity, Antiochian Greek Christians, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christian ...
(present building built 1831), the Surp Garabet (Saint
John the Baptist
John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...
)
Armenian Church (first church on the site, 1590; present building built 1888), and the Surp Haç (Holy Cross) Armenian Church (built 1676, rebuilt 1880).
[Tuğlacı, Pars. ''İstanbul Ermeni Kiliseleri / Armenian Churches of Istanbul / Istʻanpuli Hayotsʻ ekeghetsʻinerě''. Istanbul: Pars, 1991. . Pages 121-129, 169-171, 194.]
Schools
High schools is the area include Cumhuriyet (Republic) High School,
Üsküdar American Academy, Ahmet Keleşoğlu Anatolian High School, Bağlarbaşı Private High School, Istanbul Science High School, and Surp Haç (Holy Cross) Armenian Private High School.
Elementary and middle schools include Selami Ali Primary School, Bağlarbaşı Primary School, Hilmi Çelikoğlu Primary School, Kalfayan Armenian Private Primary School, Semerciyan Cemran Armenian Private Primary School, Üsküdar Private Primary School, and the Bağlarbaşı campus of Sev Private Primary School.
Adult education
Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained educating activities in order to gain new knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralph G. ''The Pr ...
centers include the Üsküdar
Public Education Center.
References
*İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi. ''İstanbul Şehir Rehberi''. URL: http://sehirrehberi.ibb.gov.tr/ Retrieved 21 November 2009.
*Üsküdar Müftülüğü. ''Üsküdar Müftülüğüne Bağlı Camiler Listesi'' (List of mosques connected to the Office of the Üsküdar Mufti). URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20111008105321/http://www.uskudarmuftulugu.gov.tr/?makaleid=77 Retrieved 30 November 2009.
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Selamsiz
Romani communities in Turkey
Quarters of Üsküdar