Vandalism Damages Seven Tombstones at Istanbul’s Haydarhane Mosque
On the evening of 31 July, an unidentified suspect entered the historic Haydarhane Mosque Hazire in the İskenderpaşa neighbourhood of Fatih, Istanbul. The vandal kicked and struck seven 15th‑century tombstones, breaking them, then gathered the fragments in a nearby empty area before fleeing as local residents intervened.
Police arrived, examined the site, collected evidence and launched a search to identify and apprehend the suspect. Residents expressed outrage, with one local, Jale Jarira, saying the damaged stones are “our art, our history.” The Haydarhane Mosque and its tomb were built under Sultan Mehmed II by Alemdar Ali Haydar Dede, and the tombstones bear titles such as “Hacı,” “Hafız,” “Seyyid,” “Molla,” “Şeyh” and “Şehide,” reflecting the era’s social structure.
Entities: Alemdar Ali Haydar Dede · Fatih District · Haydarhane Mosque Hazire · Istanbul · Sultan Mehmed II
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Police responded, examined the site, and began a search to identify and apprehend the suspect. (All articles)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The suspect damaged seven historic tombstones by kicking and striking them with a stone. (All articles)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Local residents expressed outrage over the damage to the historic tombstones. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Haydarhane Mosque and its Hazire date back to the 15th century, built under Sultan Mehmed II by Alemdar Ali Haydar Dede. (Articles 1,2,4)
- [● 4 SOURCES] On 31 July evening, an unidentified suspect entered the Haydarhane Mosque Hazire in Fatih, Istanbul. (All articles)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Resident Jale Jarira publicly lamented the damage, calling the tombstones “our art, our history”. (Articles 1,3)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The suspect collected the broken pieces in a nearby empty area before fleeing. (All articles)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The tombstones bear titles such as “Hacı”, “Hafız”, “Seyyid”, “Molla”, “Şeyh” and “Şehide”. (Articles 1,3)