Kestel Vani Mehmed Efendi Mosque and Tomb
Kestel Vani Mehmed Efendi Mosque and Tomb
Sheikh Vani Mehmet Efendi, one of the famous Ottoman scientists, lies in the tomb in Kestel. The reason it is called Vani is because he is from Van. Vani Mehmet Efendi, who was loved by the Sultan very much, preached to the Sultan in the palace and also the teacher of II.Mustafa Han. When Grand Vizier Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha was defeated by the crusader armies in Vienna in 1682, Vani Mehmet Efendi was an Army Sheikh. When the army returned to Istanbul, he settled in his farm in Kestel, Bursa. He died in Bursa Kestel in 1685. He was buried inside the mosque he had built.
Vani Mehmet Efendi is buried in the porticco courtyard of the mosque he built. In this respect, it is a unique shrine. Its coffin is to the right of the entrance and in the middle of the porticcco courtyard. The original tombstones on the head and foot are still standing. It is written on the gravestone that Vani Mehmet died in 1685. The tomb is covered with a wooden and hipped roof.
