04.02.2025 14:02
The toilet and kitchen built inside the 700-year-old Lala Şahin Pasha Medrese, which is used as a children's library in Bursa, continue to damage the walls of the first monumental work of the Ottoman Empire like a dagger embedded in it.
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In 1339, the walls of the madrasa, built by Lala Şahin Pasha as the first monumental work of the Ottoman Empire in Bursa, began to deteriorate due to the drainage being covered with concrete.
In the historical madrasa, which is used as a Children's Library, restoration work took place on December 23, 2006, with the decision of the Bursa Regional Board for the Protection of Cultural and Natural Assets No. 2059. With this restoration, despite the presence of an outdoor toilet, both a toilet and a kitchen were constructed inside the madrasa. The decision given by the Bursa Regional Board for the Protection of Cultural and Natural Assets did not explicitly mention the kitchen and toilet, and although it allowed for restitution, restoration, and installation proposals, the construction of a toilet inside led to reactions from citizens and local residents.
THE CASE WAS TAKEN TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT Ali Turan, a member of the Bursa Antiquities Lovers Association and a Volunteer Environmental Inspector, filed a lawsuit in 2007 at the Bursa Regional Administrative Court for the 'Suspension of Execution and Annulment' regarding this issue. After the court partially accepted and partially rejected the case, Turan also filed a lawsuit with the Council of State. Turan, who took the process to the Supreme Court, did not achieve a result in the decision correction process either. Later, he brought the process to the Constitutional Court. Unfortunately, the construction of a toilet inside the madrasa could not be prevented.
After the Constitutional Court issued a negative decision, Turan stated that he had the right to file a lawsuit with the European Court of Human Rights, but he refrained from using this right, believing it would not align with his moral beliefs and understanding and would be akin to 'disclosing the values of the country.'
"IT IS NOT A SIMPLE INSTALLATION ISSUE" Ali Turan, who stated that the Lala Şahin Pasha Madrasa bears traces from the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods, said, "I have been following this illegality since 2004. Two of the eight sections in the interior of the madrasa have been allocated for a toilet and a kitchen. This is not a simple installation issue. After the rejection of the Administrative Court, I took the case to the Constitutional Court. However, I did not achieve a result. This madrasa is the first Turkish work in Bursa. This work belongs to all of us, and this mistake should be corrected as soon as possible, and the madrasa should be restored to its original eight-room state," he said.
"THEY HAVE TURNED THE FIRST MONUMENTAL WORK OF THE OTTOMANS INTO A MAP" Turan, who is trying to make his voice heard, said, "What has been done to the historical structure is treachery. They built a toilet and a kitchen under the guise of installation. No work was done in accordance with the original. They have turned the first monumental work of the Ottomans into a map. It has gone down in history as the first monumental work after the conquest of Bursa. Not even a nail can be driven here. Due to the toilet and kitchen built inside the building, dampness has started to appear on the walls. Perhaps because of this, this building will collapse. If one day the first monumental work of Bursa collapses, do not be surprised. The properties belonging to the Lala Şahin Pasha Foundation, adjacent to the madrasa, can be expropriated by the General Directorate of Foundations, and they can build not one, but eleven toilets and kitchens there. I have reported these works to both the Bursa Regional Directorate of Foundations and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, General Directorate of Cultural Assets and Museums, and the Bursa Restoration and Monuments Directorate. Necessary inspections were carried out inside. However, the decisions and reports that emerged have still not been given to us until today," he said.
"LET THEM BE FREE FROM THIS SIN" Turan, who described what has been done as a betrayal to the ancestors, said, "Let them be free from this sin. I believe that the decision taken by the Board is a dubious one. Because the decision states that the installation proposals are appropriate. It does not mention the toilet and kitchen. The madrasa should be evaluated as a madrasa and should be meticulously reconsidered in accordance with its original state. The decisions taken so far are dubious. They built the toilet and kitchen by hiding behind the word installation. We want these to be removed as soon as possible," he said.
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