The Imam of the Sinekli Bakkal neighborhood and Rabia's grandfather. He experiences and imposes religion entirely through concepts of hell, prohibition, fear, and sin. He raised his daughter (Emine) and his granddaughter (Rabia) with this mentality, through beatings and intimidation. He is essentially a very stingy man; he collects the money earned from Rabia's Quran memorization (hafiz) himself. He symbolizes the harsh, intolerant, and self-serving face of religion in society.
He lost his wife at a young age and raised his daughter Emine to be a dogmatic and sour-faced person. He never accepted his son-in-law Tevfik's artistic/vagabond nature and ensured his daughter left him. He also personally trained Rabia with violence to make her a 'copy' of his own ideology and a source of income.
Very short, thin as a skeleton. He has thick eyebrows that stick out like hedgehog quills, deep-set and terrible, lusterless eyes like coal, a white round beard, and a massive turban. He usually wears old, patched, black robes.
Emine
His daughter, whom he raised as unpleasantly and lovelessly as a reflection of his own character, condemning her to unhappiness.
Rabia
His granddaughter, whom he tries to crush and intimidate, using her as a money-making machine.
Tevfik
His son-in-law, whom he hates, views as a clown, and plots against to ensure his descent into prisons/exile.
Selim Paşa
The high-ranking official whose protection and power in the state he tries to exploit, and whose door he knocks on within the mechanism of bribery/denunciation.