Mediterranean Madrasas
The architect of the social complex that was built on the field of the Havariun Church, which was deemed sacred in the Byzantine period, on 1463-1470 was the Chief Architect Sinanüddin Yusuf Aga, who is known as Atik Sinan. Until the construction of these madrasas, which lined up next to two sides of Fatih Mosque, were completed, lectures were given in the first madrasas that were established nearby Hagia Sophia Mosque. As the most important elements of the social complex, these madrasas continued to be the most important and the highest level education center of Istanbul, until the Ottoman Period ended and the madrasas were closed. The structures, which were named as "Sahn" since the student cells gather around one square, are also called as "Fatih Sahn-ı Seman Madrasas", "Sahn Madrasas" and "Eight Madrasas".
Among the large madrasas, those on the golden horn side were named as "bahr-i siyah" meaning Blacksea, those on the Marmara side were named as "bahr-i sefid" meaning Mediterranean, and among them the one at the kıblah direction was called as "Çifte Kurşunlu" and the other on the west was called "Ayak Kurşunlu". Each of them was consisted of 19 cells and one each classroom-masjid with a large dome.
Eight large madrasas of the Fatih Social Complex, which remained standing, haven been renovated by the Directorate General of Foundations since 1955, and they were used as Higher Education Hostel.
