Ahi Mehmet Çelebi (1432-1524) was a famous Ottoman physician, scientist and writer. He lived during the reigns of Fatih Sultan Mehmed, Bayezid II, Yavuz Sultan Selim and Suleiman the Magnificent and made important contributions in the field of medicine. He also made medical translations, attached great importance to education and charity and built many mosques, madrasas and foundation works.
Who is Ahi Mehmet Çelebi?
Ahi Mehmet Çelebi was born in 1432, and his real name is also known as Ahmed or Mahmud. The physician, better known as Ahi Çelebi, was the son of his father Kemâleddin, a doctor from Tabriz, and his family had settled in Kastamonu. His father was in the service of Candaroğlu İsmâil Bey and settled in Istanbul after the Candaroğulları Principality joined the Ottoman Empire in 1461. After receiving his first medical knowledge from his father, Ahî Çelebi improved himself in the field of medicine by taking lessons from Kutbüddin and Altunîzâde, the leading physicians of the period. After advancing his profession in Istanbul, he was appointed as a physician at the Fâtih Dârüşşifâsı and then as chief physician.
Contributions to Medicine
Ahi Mehmet Çelebi's most important contribution in the field of medicine is his "Risâle-i Hasâtü'l-Kilye ve'l-Mesâne" written during the reign of Bayezid II. This work, which he wrote about kidney and bladder stones, is an important source reflecting the medical knowledge of the period. The work consists of 10 chapters and especially because it was written in Turkish, it increased the comprehensibility of Ottoman medicine. In addition, his Persian work "al-Fawād al-Sulṭāniyya fi'l-Ḳavāʿidi al-Ṭıbbiyya" reflects the medical understanding of the period. Ahī Çelebi also wrote Turkish works titled "Risâle fi't-Tıb" and "Mesnevî fi't-Tıb". In his medical career, he was first appointed as a kitchen surgeon during the reign of Bayezid II and then as chief physician, a position he held with great success. When Yavuz Sultan Selim II joined the Egyptian expedition, he became the chief physician again and played an important role. He was dismissed again after the death of Sultan Selim, but was still held in high esteem towards the end of his life.
Influence and Legacy
Ahi Mehmet Çelebi's influence was not limited to the field of medicine. He was a great philanthropist and endowed his wealth to many educational and religious buildings. He built a madrasah and a school in Edirne and a mosque known as Kanlı Fırın Masjid in Yemiş İskelesi in Istanbul. He also made great contributions to the education and welfare of his people by building many mosques, schools and baths. Ahi Çelebi used his wealth for charity through foundations and willed that the surplus income be sent to the poor in Medina. The Ahi Çelebi Mosque in the Eminönü neighborhood of Istanbul bears his name. In addition, a neighborhood in Istanbul, a village in Edirne and a region in Bulgaria are named after Ahi Çelebi. Ahi Çelebi is remembered as an important figure who left his mark on Ottoman history, both for his contributions to medicine and the importance he attached to charity.