In a street along the north side of the Hagia Sophia gardens there is a small side street leading down to the Soğuk Kuyu (Cold Well) there is a medrese by Sinan, founded in 1559 by Cafer Ağa, chief Black Eunuch under Süleyman. The Strolling Through Istanbul guide book describes its “lamentable state”, but that has improved greatly. Nothing special, just one of those places I’d never seen before. In what may have been the Dershane I ran into some women painting on porcelain, but could not take a picture. The cells have been transferred in work spaces and small shops.

The guide book also indicates that Sinan had to overcome great difficulties because he had to build on a steep slope.