The Mausoleum of İhramcızade İsmail Hakkı Efendi

İhramcızade İsmail Hakkı Efendi, whose real name was İsmail Hakkı Toprak, was born in 1888 and passed away on August 2, 1969, in Sivas. Because his ancestors were engaged in the business of changing the ihram at the Kaaba, his family was known as “İhramcızade.”

İsmail Hakkı Efendi attended elementary school in Zara until the age of ten, then received his secondary education in Sivas and graduated from the Şifaiye Madrasa. During the War of Independence, he transported ammunition as a platoon commander in Suşehri; after the war, he worked at the Tekel Office in Tokat. During this period, he became a disciple of Mustafa Haki Efendi and studied under him.

After Mustafa Haki Efendi was elected to parliament and moved to Ankara, İsmail Hakkı Efendi came to Sivas and began working as a clerk for the Düyûn-ı Umûmiye. Following the dissolution of that institution, he went to Zara, worked at the saltworks for a while, and retired in 1931, settling in Sivas.

İhramcızade İsmail Hakkı Efendi made great efforts to restore the Sivas Ulu Mosque to its former splendor and lived to see his wish come true. He also authored a book of Mevlid titled “Yâre Yâdigâr.” Known for his spiritual character, his service, and his influence on the people of Sivas, İhramcızade İsmail Hakkı Efendi’s tomb is today one of Sivas’s most important places of pilgrimage.