Mehmed Buhari (Sari Saltuk) was a dervish (eren) who lived during the 13th century. A student of the eminent Sufi poet Ahmed Yesevi (d.1166) like his spiritual guide Haci Bektas, Buhari traveled the Balkans introducing the Bektasi religious order a century and a half before the Ottoman advance in the area. Following his death, he became a legendary figure in books recounting his miraculous adventures. While his burial place is unknown, there are numerous tombs built across the Balkans and Anatolia in his memory.
The tomb of Sari Saltuk in Iznik is located outside the Lefke Gate. The exact date of construction of the structure is not known. It consists of a dome on pendentives elevated on L-shaped pedestals. The pendentive arches are held together by wooden tie rods. A short wall was built at a later date between the pedestals, enclosing the sarcophagi at the center. The construction is brick and stone with saw-tooth brick cornice. The dome is covered with terra cotta tiles. The tomb was restored by the General Directorate of Waqfs in 1963.
Sources:
Türkiye'de Vakif Abideler ve Eski Eserler. (Volume IV) Vakiflar Genel Müdürlügü Yayinlari: Ankara, 1972.
Eyice, Semavi. Iznik: Tarihçesi ve Eski Eserleri (Nicaea: The History and the Monuments). Sanat Tarihi Arastirmalari Dergisi Yayinlari: Istanbul, 1988.
Yalman, Bedri. Iznik (Nicaea). Governorship of Bursa, Provincial Directorate of Tourism: Bursa, 1999.
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