He explained that, as Istanbul was the center of the caliphate, sacred relics were collected there. "When Yavuz Sultan Selim conquered the Hejaz region and Egypt, he brought the caliphate and the relics of the Prophet Muhammad to here. Yavuz Sultan Selim said, 'Find me 39 hafiz, I will be the 40th,' and the 24-hour Quran reading tradition started that day and continues today," Kocaman said.
Kocaman also shared that when the room containing the Prophet Muhammad's Sacred Mantle (Hırka-i Saadet) was cleaned, the Ottomans did not throw the dust outside but poured it into a specially dug well.
"This was the way our ancestors treated the Prophet's relics and other sacred items," he added.
