The madrasas of 17th-century Diyarbakr

Evliya Celebi mentions the 17th-century madrasas in Diyarbakr:

There are altogether colleges of [islamic] sciences. Firstly, in each of the Friday mosques mentioned above there are one or two medreses where the sciences are taught. But first of all [we should mention] the Mercaniye medrese, in the Great Mosque. It is held in the highest esteem by scholars. [Upon promotion] from there, its professor (müderris) enters the molla rank. It is provided with a professor and students. Because it is endowed with rich waqfs, its [student] cells never are wan-ting in their regular stipends, nor in their rations of meat and wax-candles. Next, again in the Great Mosque, there is the Shafi'i medrese, just outside the Shafi'i prayer hall. This too is a well-maintained and thriving college for men of religion.

Then, the medrese of the Prophet's Mosque (Peygamber Camii). It has many students. Those who once began their studies here have quite cer-tainly not remained destitute. Next, the Ipariye medrese. It is a renowned medrese where one studies the science of bayan (exposition). Its students therefore soon become con-spicuous and well-exposed, and come to hold posts of honour. Then, at the Mardin gate, the Hüsreviye medrese. In this college of sciences the science of kalam (dogmatics and disputation) is taught. Its disciples therefore discourse most correctly and eloquently. The Sarulızade medrese. Because the science of fiqh (jurisprudence) is studied here, its adepts are expert legal scholars.

The medrese of Şeyh Rumi (= the shaykh from Urmia). It is a large convent. The numerous disciples in it occupy themselves with the mystical sciences and the science of Divine Unity (tawhid). The medrese. The exegetic sciences are studied here, using the [Quran] commentaries (tafsir) by Jarir Tabari, Ibn Mas'ud, Abu'l-Layth, Baghawi, Qadi, Daylami, Faydullah Hindi and Ebü's-Su'ud. There are here accomplised scholars in the fields of exegesis and detailed research, who have compiled works on these subjects.

The renowned medreses are these. In each of the mosques surveyed above there is one master reciter, so that one can learn to memorize the Quran. But as this is Kurdistan, there are not many people who know the Quran by heart, as is the case in Arabia. [This is so] because they do not devote much effort to the science of memorizing the Quran, with the argument that "a person who con-centrates on memorization cannot perfect himself in understanding". However, the science of tajwid [reciting the Quran with the proper pronunciation and intonation] is studied here, and they pay [due] atten-tion to the points of articulation of the letters, according to the [styles of] recitation of Hafiz and of Abu 'Umar, together with the names of their transmitters. Some, in order to perfect their skills, chant the Quran in the style of Ibn Kathir as well, and in the Seven and the Ten [canonical] Styles of pronunciation.