15.06.2025 12:03
Kaya Alidoğdu, who lives in Bursa, has been regularly cleaning the spot known as the place where the horse of Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi got stuck and could not move for 65 years.
The horse of Qadi Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi, who went to visit Üftade Hazretleri, got stuck in the rocks up to its ankles when it reached the street of the current Molla Fenari Mosque. The hoof prints of the horse have been cleaned every day for half a century by Kaya Alidoğdu, who moved to the neighborhood at the age of 11.
The historical trace that marks a turning point in the journey of Qadi Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Hazretleri, one of the spiritual leaders of the Ottoman Empire, is preserved today by Kaya Alidoğdu. Kaya Alidoğdu (76), who lives in Bursa, regularly cleans the spot known as the place where Qadi Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi's horse got stuck and could not move forward. Alidoğdu meticulously sweeps the dust and leaves that accumulate in the pit, seeing it as his duty.
"I HAVE BEEN CLEANING THIS PLACE EVERY DAY FOR 65 YEARS"
Kaya Alidoğdu, who voluntarily cleans this historical site every morning to prevent it from being lost, stated, "When Qadi Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi's horse came to the side of Molla Fenari Mosque, it suddenly stopped and wouldn't go. Mahmud Hüdayi wanted to get off the horse and pull it. However, as soon as the horse hit the ground with its hind legs, it left its mark. I came to Molla Fenari Neighborhood at the age of 11, and I have been cleaning this place every day for 65 years. Sometimes it gets filled with sand, and I clean it immediately," he said.
THE STORY OF THE HISTORICAL TRACE
Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi, who was the qadi of Bursa at the time, set out to go to Üftade Hazretleri to embark on the path of Sufism. However, in a street on the east side of Molla Fenari Mosque, his horse suddenly stopped and got stuck in the rocks. Believing that this incident was a spiritual warning, Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Hazretleri dismounted from his horse and continued on foot to the lodge. This event experienced by Mahmud Hüdayi Hazretleri also marked the beginning of his struggle with his ego. Resigning from his position as qadi, Hüdayi worked as a liver seller and then patiently fulfilled difficult tasks at the lodge.