Kilic Ali Pasha Mosque

Istanbul, Turkey. It is named after Kılıç Ali Pasha.

It consists of a mosque, a medrese, a hamam, a türbe, and a fountain. Originally, it had been on the coastline, but since the sea in front of it has been filled again, it is now surrounded by other buildings. The complex was built on the orders of the Kapudan-i Derya (Grand Admiral) Kılıç Ali Pasha. When the Pasha was told to build the complex on the sea for being the Chief Captain, he had the mosque built on the land reclaimed from the sea.

All three doors of the courtyard are ornamented. The courtyard also has a marble fountain for ablution before prayer with eight columns and a dome. The outer porch has a sloping roof supported by twelve columns on the west façade and three on each side, all with rhombus-shaped capitals. In the center is a marble portal.

Its wooden doors are inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Kılıç Ali Pasha's tomb lies inside the türbe. The medrese, opposite the southeast corner of the mosque, is almost square. To the right of the mosque is the hamam, of which the construction was completed in 1583. The glass doors lead into two separate soğukluks (cool rooms) that are placed on either sides of the hararet (caldarium-hot room) which is hexagonal in plan with open bathing places in four of its six arched recesses, the other two opening to the soğukluks. The placement of the soğukluks and the plan of the hararet differ from the usual application carried out by Sinan in his other extant hamams.

At the outer courtyard in the graveyard stands an octagonal türbe with a dome also made by Mimar Sinan. 

The central dome of the mosque is 12.70 metres (41.7 ft) in diameter, carried on pendentives on granite piers and two half-domes on the Qibla axis. Towards the entrance, on two sides, there is a two-story gallery. The dome is placed at the center with two exedrae similar to a Byzantine basilica, thus the resemblance to Hagia Sophia.

Above the prayer hall are five small domes carried on six marble columns. The tile panels placed high in the prayer hall are inscribed with ayats (verses) from the Quran. The mosque has only one minaret with one gallery. There are 247 windows including the 24 of the central dome. The mihrab is in a square projecting apse.

Ortakoy Mosque

The Ortakoy Mosque is situated on the waterside of the Ortaköy pier square in the Beşiktaş District, one of the most popular locations on the Bosphorus. The mosque was built on the order of Abdulmecid (1839-1861), the ruler of the Ottoman Empire, and was constructed by the Nigoğos Balyan in 1853. It was during the same century that the mosque rose to a higher level of importance on the European side of Istanbul. It is also known as “Great Mecidiye Mosque” and is one of the most beautiful samples of the Baroque architecture in Istanbul.

Previously, there was a little mosque built by Mahmut Ağa, the son-in law of the Vizier Ibrahim Paşa, on the former site of the mosque. The little mosque built in 1721 but was destroyed during the revolt of Patrona Halil in 1730. The current mosque, which was erected in its place, was greatly damaged during the earthquake of 1894, and the spire of the minaret needed to be rearranged. When it was understood that the building was in danger of collapsing in 1960, ground reinforcement efforts were carried out. After the conflagration in 1984, it was completely restored and reattained its previous magnificence.

It is composed of a Harim (sanctum sanctorum) and a Hünkar Kasrı (sultan’s summer palace). The Harim section is composed of a square-shaped main chamber with an edge length of 12.25m, and the middle chamber which passses through the main chamber. The ceiling of the Harim section consists of a dome construction covered with pink mosaics and the dome was placed on the main wall. The mosque has two minarets with a single sherefe (minaret balcony) each, the niche is made of mosaic and white marble, and the pulpit is a marble craftsmanship covered with porphyry. The two-storey house, with its elliptical stairs at the northern entrance, is called Hunkar Kasrı.

The Ortakoy Mosque, built in the 19th century, has reached our times as the main component onlooking the Bosphorus.

Nuruosmaniye Mosque

Construction on the Nuruosmaniye Complex began in 1749 during the rule of Mahmud I (1730-1754) and was completed by his brother and successor Osman III (1754-1757) in 1755. It is located to the east of the covered bazaar and was built to replace the Mascid of Fatma Hatun, which was destroyed in a fire. In style, the complex is distinguished from its precedents with its adoption of baroque design elements and embodies the westernizing vision of Mahmud I. While there is some dispute about the architect, Simeon Kalfa or Mustafa Aga, its construction is documented in detail by construction manager Ahmed Efendi in a booklet entitled Tarih-i Cami-i Serif-i Nur-i Osmani. The name Nuruosmaniye, or the Light of Osman, is thought to refer to Osman III and to a verse from the Sura of Al-Nur, "God is the light of the heavens and the earth", which is inscribed inside the dome.

The complex consists of a mosque (cami), madrasa (medrese), soup-kitchen (imaret), tomb (türbe), library (kütüphane) and water fountain or sabil (sebil), enclosed in an irreqular walled-in precinct, and a han and some stores (dükkan) built in the vicinity. The precinct is entered from two gates to the east and west. The western gate, called Carsikapisi or bazaar gate, opens into the covered bazaar with the sabil adjoining it. The mosque, oriented along the northwest-southeast axis, occupies the northwest corner of the precinct, which is raised above street level on a tall basement. Beside it, at the northeast corner, are the library and the tomb. The madrasa and the soup kitchen are housed in a single structure that projects beyond the southern precinct wall. The accessory buildings are aligned loosely with the cardinal axis.

The mosque consists of a single domed prayer hall, preceded by a courtyard of comparable size to the northwest. The courtyard is entered through a main portal to the northwest and two side portals. It has a unique semi-elliptical shape created with the use of wedge-segments placed between nine domed bays; it is also distinctive with the omission of an ablution fountain. Windows placed at two levels provide views outside. There is no ablution fountain. The five-bay mosque portico completes the courtyard arcade and leads into the prayer hall through a central portal.

The prayer hall is square with a semi-circular mihrab apse and is crowned with a large dome 25 meters in diameter and raised to a height of 43.50 meters on four monumental arches. The interior space is activated by wide galleries that surround it on three sides. There are no aisles; the space below the galleries is an exterior arcade and is accessed through two side doors with cascading steps. At three different places -- the entrance and the two corners flanking the qibla wall -- the galleries are widened to form balconies that project into the prayer hall carried on columns. The corner balconies are deepened further with the inclusion of arcade space; the one to the east is the sultan's lodge and has gilted latticework between its columns. It is accessed primarily by a ramp outside the mosque that allowed the sultan to ascend to his quarters on his horse.

The tympana of the grand arches, equal in height to the galleries, are braced with smaller concentric arches that help strengthen the structure. At the qibla wall, the small arch is joined with the semi-dome that covers the mihrab apse. Sixteen windows in each tympanum light up the interior, in addition to the numerous casement windows at the ground and gallery levels. There are twenty-eight more windows at the base of the dome. With the exception of the casements, windows are made of interlacing pieces of colored and plain glass. The interior of the mosque is covered with gray marble panels up to the galleries where a thick structural cornice, inscribed with the Sura of Al-Fath, adorns and braces the structure. Below the gallery, calligraphic medallions crown each casement window. The baroque influence is conveyed through the extensive use of sculptural elements such as pilasters and cornices, and baroque motifs, such as garlands, finials and scallops. Going beyond mere imitation, the Nuruosmaniye mosque achieves one of the finest instances of Ottoman baroque, a unique synthesis between classical Ottoman and contemporary western styles that is epitomized in the scallop muqarnas domes crowning its portals.

On the exterior, the silhouette of the mosque is marked by the tall dome and domed arches rising dramatically above the courtyard walls amidst the low-lying market neighborhood. The curved outlines of the baroque buttresses that anchor the dome at its corners and the thick cornice that crowns the grand arches, dominate the architectural expression. The two minarets, attached at either end of the mosque portico, have fluted shafts with two balconies and stone caps. The mosque is primarily constructed of cut stone.

Madrasa and Soup-Kitchen

The madrasa is built on a traditional plan, and has twenty domed rooms and a large classroom (dersane) enveloping an arcaded courtyard. The soup-kitchen adjoins it to the west and is about half the size of the madrasa. Entered through a domed entryway to the north, the soup-kitchen is organized around an inner courtyard that gives access to the kitchens to the south and a dining room to the west, with the madrasa wall bounding it to the east. 

Library and Tomb 

The library is a single-story building set on a high platform accessed by two sets of stairs located to the west that lead into separate entryways. An Arabic inscription above the entrance states: "Demand science, from the cradle to the grave." It has a cross-plan with widely rounded corners and consists of an elliptical reading room enveloped by an arcade made of fourteen columns. An additional storage room projects between the two staircases to the west; there is also a full basement. The reading room is covered by a dome flanked by two semi-domes, and the arcade spaces have cross vaults. Thirty windows, placed at two levels, illuminate the interior. The bulbous footprint of the library is enhanced on the exterior with the play of pilasters and moldings. Opened in 1755 with eighteen employees, the Nuruosmaniye Library is a branch of the Süleymaniye Library today and contains personal collections of Mahmud I and Osman III with a total of 7600 volumes of which 5052 are manuscripts.

The tomb is located slightly to the south of the library and was originally intended for Mahmud I, who is buried in the Tomb of Valide Turhan Sultan. Sehsuvar Valide Sultan, the mother of Osman III, was buried here in 1756. The tomb is a single domed room, preceded by a three-bay domed portico to the west. Its exterior appearance is marked by the curved outline of the portico and the large weight turrets that flank the dome at its four corners.     

Şehzade Mosque

The Sehzade Kulliyesi was commissioned by Ottoman Sultan Süleyman II, also known as Süleyman the Magnificent and Qanuni, the Lawgiver, (reg. 1520-1566 CE / AH 924-976) to commemorate his favorite son Sehzade Mehmed (1520-1543 CE / AH 924-950) upon his early passing in 1543. Twenty-two years old at the time of his death, Sehzade Mehmed was killed while returning to Istanbul after a victorious military campaign in Hungary. Mehmed was the eldest son of Süleyman's only legal wife - although not his eldest so - and before his untimely death he was primed to accept the sultanate following Süleyman's reign. Süleyman is said to have personally mourned the death of Mehmed for forty days at his temporary tomb in Istanbul, the site upon which famed imperial architect Sinan (1490-1588 CE / AH 895-996) would quickly construct a lavish mausoleum to Mehmed as one part of a larger funerary külliye, or mosque complex, dedicated to the princely heir. The mosque complex was Sinan's first imperial commission and ultimately one of his most ambitious architectural works, even though it was designed early in his long career. 

Before Sehzade's death, the site of the complex was a part of the Old Chambers of the janissaries; Sehzade's mausoleum was built upon the site of the former library of the order. Süleyman ordered the purchase of part of the janissaries' chambers using funds from Sehzade Mehmed's muhallefat, or inheritance, in order to construct a large mosque complex in memory of his son. Located on the main artery connecting Beyazit to Edirnekapi, the site is bounded by the Divanyolu boulevard to its south and the Valens aqueduct, constructed during the Roman era, to its north. Its west side borders a park along Ataturk boulevard adjacent to Sarachane Square. The sloping site overlooks the Bosporus roughly one kilometer to the north. Overall, the site measures approximately 240 meters wide east to west and 160 meters long north to south.

The complex is composed of several distinct structures within a polygonal walled perimeter. These buildings include a congregational mosque, madrasa, tabhane, hospice, elementary school, cemetery, and six unique mausolea structures. Construction of the complex began in 1544 CE (AH 951) and was largely completed by 1549 CE (AH 956). 

The mosque is located at the center of the walled site, surrounded by gardens and pathways leading to other buildings within the complex. The mosque is accessible from the north, south, and west via five primary entrances; three portals open into the avlu and two into the prayer hall. The qibla wall forms the eastern elevation of the mosque. 

The plan of the mosque is composed of two adjacent squares, each measuring forty-two meters to a side. The western half of the mosque forms an avlu, a square central courtyard surrounded by a row of vaulted portico bays accented with white and pink marble voussoirs. The avlu is notable as the first example in Ottoman architecture of the use of an open-air portico, instead of enclosed galleries, as the surround for a mosque courtyard. The octagonal marble ablution fountain in the center of the courtyard was donated after the original construction of the complex by Sultan Murat IV (1612-1640 CE / AH 1021-1050). At the center of the east wall of the avlu is a recessed portal leading into the prayer hall, topped by elaborate carved muqarnas. 

The mosque's two minarets rise above the northeast and southeast corners of the avlu at the northwest and southwest corners of the prayer hall. The enclosed stairways of the minarets are accessed from small portals on the exterior of the mosque. The shafts of the twin minarets feature ornate decorative sculpture in the form of geometric bas-reliefs and inlaid terracotta panels. 

The eastern half of the mosque is the enclosed prayer hall. The prayer hall features a symmetrical, centrally focused plan, as did many of Sinan's mosques. Just as in the portico to the west, the plan of the hall is organized according to a five aisle by five row grid, in which domed bays along the perimeter form a square border around a larger three bay by three bay space at the center. The corner bays are each slightly under eight meters square, while the bays along the center of each wall are approximately twenty-two meters long and eight meters deep. Four massive pillars are located at the corners of the large central bay, whose interior spans nineteen meters square. The pillars each measure close to five meters square to provide support for the massive arches that frame the edges of the central bay. These four arches are flanked by semi-domes that cover the central bays along each wall of the prayer hall. The four arches also provide support for a nineteen-meter-wide dome that springs from pendentives over the center of the prayer hall. The central dome rises to a maximum height of thirty-seven meters, suggesting a spherical space in section. Three-meter-deep galleries line the exteriors of the north and south walls to conceal large buttresses that provide additional structural support for the heavy central dome.

Like many of Sinan's mosques, the interior of the Sehzade Mehmed mosque features simple but fine decoration. The interior is primarily of white stone, with polychrome Iznik tile work in radial geometric patterns at the centers of each dome and semi-dome of the ceiling, as well as within triangular panels on the squinches and pendentives. The voussoirs are finished in a pattern of alternating red and white stones to draw attention to the large arches supporting the roof. A large circular iron chandelier is suspended from the central dome above the red carpeted floor. The mihrab niche is surmounted by muqarnas and surrounded by large stained-glass windows. 

Entrances to the prayer hall are located at the center of its north, west, and south walls, while the mihrab niche occupies the center of the east qibla wall. The minbar is located four meters to the south of the mihrab niche along the qibla wall. As the four pillars at the center of the support much of the load of the domed roof structure, the exterior walls have relatively little load to bear and thus are highly perforated to allow generous sunlight. Sinan revised this simple plan in his later imperial mosques to allow the support piers to be better integrated with the exterior walls of the prayer hall and thus less isolated near its center. 

The six mausolea are grouped to the southeast of the qibla wall, while the madrasa and the tabhane are located north of the mosque along the complex perimeter. The mausoleum of Sezhade Mehmed was the first structure constructed under Sinan's master plan for the complex. Measuring five meters to a side, the octagonal mausoleum is best known for its opulent decoration in polychrome Iznik tiles. Tiles in rare shades of green and yellow cover the entire interior of the space, including the floors and ceiling. The structure is supported by terracotta arches and roofed by a fluted dome. The tomb of Sehzade Mehmed is located at the center of the mausoleum, covered by a walnut baldachin. The tombs of Mehmed's daughter Humusah Sultan and his brother Cihangir are also located within the structure. Openings in the walls allow for stained glass windows on all faces, as well as an entrance portal on the north elevation. A porch featuring inlaid opus sectile stonework leads to the entrance portal, which is surmounted by a commemorative inscription in Persian verse. 

Also designed by Sinan, the mausoleum of Rüstem Pasa (1561-62 CE / AH 968-969) is located two meters south of Mehmed's mausoleum. Like the mosque of Rüstem Pasa in Istanbul, the octagonal mausoleum features elaborate Iznik tile work. The mausoleum of Sehzade Mahmud (d. 1603 CE / AH 1012), located five meters to the southwest of Sehzade Mehmed's structure, is a hexagonal structure measuring three meters to a side. Immediately to its south is the slightly smaller octagonal mausoleum of Seyhülislam Bostanzade Mehmed (d. 1598 CE / AH 1007). Nine meters to the west, a larger octagonal mausoleum measuring four meters to a side honors Ibrahim Pasa (d. 1603 CE / AH 1012). Designed by Dalgıç Ahmed Çavuş, this mausoleum is almost as large as that of Sehzade Mehmed. Finally, the baldachin tomb of Sehzade Mehmed's granddaughter Fatma Sultan (1588-1589 CE / AH 996-997) is located ten meters to the east of Mehmed's mausoleum. This small domed square structure measures four meters to a side and is located adjacent to the eastern wall of the complex. 

The madrasa is located thirty-seven meters north of the mosque at the northwest corner of the complex. It follows a typical Ottoman organization in which twenty small cells and a second row of vaulted galleries are organized around a large rectangular central courtyard. Overall, the madrasa measures forty-six meters wide east to west and thirty-two meters long north to south. Its regularity is broken by a square domed prayer room embedded at the center of the eastern wall. This prayer room measures eleven meters to a side, and it projects five meters beyond the line of the exterior wall. The madrasa is accessible from the north via several entrances facing the Valens aqueduct, or by three central entrances along its south wall that face the mosque and mausolea within the Sehzade complex. 

Though tabhanes were often directly attached to mosques later in Ottoman period, the tabhane at the Sehzade complex is a freestanding structure located to the east of the madrasa and north of the mosque, mausolea, and gardens. The tabhane is composed of a series of domed chambers designed to house pious travelers during short visits to the mosque. The tabhane is subdivided into three sections; the western and central sections are identical, while the larger eastern section features a unique interior organization and an adjacent trapezoidal courtyard. The enclosed portion of the eastern section is composed of two aisles of domed bays, each four rows deep. The sections to the west are each subdivided into thirds, with two small domed chambers to both the east and west of a larger central domed space. The tabhane measures between sixty-two and sixty-seven meters wide east to west and between thirteen and twenty-four meters long north to south. 

The complex is interrupted by Dede Efendi Street to the east of the tabhane and mausolea, and though the complex's perimeter wall creates a solid boundary along the street-edge, a hospice and elementary school affiliated with the mosque were constructed directly across the narrow street. The hospice is rectangular with a large central courtyard, measuring approximately twenty-five meters wide east to west and fifty-six meters long north to south. The elementary school is located adjacent and to the south of the hospice, a small square domed structure measuring ten meters to a side. Opposite the elementary school, a small break in the complex perimeter wall allows entry to the gardens north of the mausolea. There is a second entrance opening to the courtyard of the tabhane, opposite the entrance to the hospice. The perimeter wall is further perforated to the east and south of the mausolea and to the south and west of the mosque in order to permit diverse points of entry to the complex, with no apparent primary gateway. 

The Sehzade Mehmed complex is widely regarded as Sinan's first masterpiece. The simple design of its mosque foreshadowed both Sinan's later experimentation with geometrically rational spaces and his refinement of innovative structural systems. Its mausolea are well-preserved examples of the opulent decorative tile work reserved for only the most important imperial building commissions. The complex remains open to the public today as an example of Sinan's early vision and one of the finest architectural achievements of the Ottoman period. 

Sinan’s Letter

Some years ago the Şehzade (Prince) Mosque fell into danger of collapsing. If it couldn’t be prevented the whole building would fall down within a short time. All the carrying weight was on its archs. In the middle of each of these archs was a lacking (or foundation) stone. And they had become worn out in the course of time. Nobody knew and there wasn’t any written document telling how the worn out stones could be changed. All the qualified engineers and architechts of Turkey were called. Everyone had a different opinion but no one could solve the problem. As the discussions were going on, there was a chaos in and outside the mosque.

While those architects and engineers belonging to different instituations were examining the archs,one of them discovered a hidden hollow just by accident. In the hole there was a piece of paper with a note written on it. It was written with the old alphabet. It was examined by many specialists and was proved to be real. It was a letter written by architect Sinan himself. When it was translated into todays Turkish,it said, ‘You’ve found my letter. This shows the foundation stone of the arch is worn out and you don’t know how to change it..’ Great Sinan explained how it was going to be changed word by word. In the same place there was a bottle. In it there was another note telling how the old stone could be changed with the new. It said,’Whoever wishes to change this old stone with the new, will place a greesed ropeon both sides of the new stone. While pushing both ends of the rope into the sides of the old stone on one side, some others will pull out the ends on the other side. This way you’ll take the old stone out and put the new stone in.

They did what they were to do word by word and this was how Şehzade was saved. This letter is still being kept in the Topkapı Palace.

New (Yeni) Mosque

The Yeni Valide Mosque, more widely known as the Yeni or new mosque, is located adjoining the harbor on the southern bank of the Golden Horn, at the foot of the bridge connecting the historic peninsula with Karaköy to the north. Began in 1597 by Safiye Sultan, the mother of Mehmed III (1595-1603) and completed more than half a century later by Turhan Hatice Sultan, the mother of Mehmed IV (1648-1687), the mosque stands in a long tradition of architectural patronage by Ottoman queen mothers or valides. A dense Jewish neighborhood was cleared for the mosque designed by architect Davud Aga, replaced by Dalgiç Mehmed Aga after his death in 1598 until work halted in 1603. Architect Mustafa Aga completed the mosque between 1661 and 1663 and built a sultan's kiosk (hünkar kasri), a room for Quran readers (darülkurra), tomb (türbe), Quranic school (sibyan mektebi), sabil (sebil), public fountains (çesme), stores (dükkan) and a closed spice market known as the Egyptian bazaar (Misir Çarsisi) around the mosque. A room for the mosque timekeeper (muvakkithane) was added in the nineteenth century. Details concerning the construction and organization of the complex are documented in waqf documents of the period kept in the Süleymaniye Library. The mosque is set parallel to the shoreline, on the northwest-southeast axis. The L-shaped market, adjoined by a cemetery and a tomb to the east, defines a large courtyard on the hillside. Walls that separate the mosque from the lower docklands on the seaside, until their demolition in the nineteenth century, joined the market at either end to enclose an irregularly shaped precinct. Elevated above sea-level on a substructure of wooden pilings similar to the one used at the Büyükçekmece Bridge, the precinct was entered from five gates and gave access to all the subsidiary structures with the exception of the market, which was primarily entered from the street. With the construction of the Galata Bridge in 1845 and the demolition of the precinct walls, a vibrant square emerged at the waterfront with commercial buildings built along the mosque. The Eminönü square was crossed by tramlines connecting the two sides of the Golden Horn and remained a transportation hub even after its buildings were demolished in the early Republican period to reveal the mosque. First used as an open-air bus terminal, the square largely disappeared through widening of the coastal highway in 1956 and the construction of a higway interchange in 1986 that permanently cut off the mosque from the waterfront. The mosque courtyard is entered through three portals, one on each side, that are preceded by cascading set of steps. Slightly smaller than the mosque, the rectangular courtyard is enveloped by an arcade on three sides that meets the mosque portico to the southeast; a total of twenty-four domed bays carried on twenty columns. It has two tiers of windows at regular intervals that continue along the portico façade. At the center, is the marble ablution fountain: an octagonal basin enclosed with grilled windows between eight columns that hold up a small dome. Its marble surfaces are richly carved with floral arabesques. Tile panels have been used to decorate the lower sections of the portico façade, which has a mihrab niche and a balcony on either side of the mosque entrance. The mosque has a plan similar to the Sehzade Mosque built half a century earlier by Mimar Sinan. Its rectangular prayer hall is covered by a large dome at its highest that is carried on pendentives with four grand arches elevated on four colossal piers. The dome is surrounded by four semi-domes, which in turn rest on three small semi-domes (longitudinal axis) or two semi-domes separated by an arch. Four independent domes cover the corners. The small semi-domes, or exedra semi-domes, help bring the upper structure down to the exterior walls except to the northwest, where the wall has been pushed outwards to make space for an internal arcade that houses the women's section at the back of the congregation. Here, the semi-domes are carried on two smaller piers and two columns that reach the walls and the main piers with arches. The main piers also reach out to buttresses along the exterior walls by means of eight low arches that hang over the internal arcade as it wraps the mosque interior on three sides, ending at the qibla wall. The qibla end of the northeast gallery has been sectioned off to create the sultan's lodge, which is accessed through the sultan's kiosk outside the mosque. There is a marble muezzin's platform adjoining the western pier. Three tiers of windows, in addition to windows at the bases of domes and semi-domes, illuminate the interior.                                                  Photo : Mustafa Sezer The late classical period decoration of the interior is dominated by blue and turquoise colored tiles that line the surfaces of the walls, arcades and the piers up to the level of the third windows. Painted arabesques with dominant hues of blue, red and green cover the remaining surfaces of walls, arches and vaulting. A multi-tiered muqarnas cornice braces the structure at the springing of the dome arches, merging with muqarnas pendentives of the exedra semi-domes on its way. There is a lesser cornice below the third windows that is highlighted with gold paint on the piers. The stone carving of the mihrab and the minbar are of note, as well as the mother-of-pearl woodwork of the preacher's pulpit, windowpane and doors.  On the exterior, the ensemble is flanked on either side by a double-story arcade made up of alternating wide and narrow arches and marble balustrades. The arcade is covered with a slanting roof with wide eaves below the third tier of windows, and consists of three sections separated by protruding buttresses. The first section is a single story portico composed of three tall bays and abuts the base of the minaret near the courtyard wall. Reached by a cascading set of steps, the portico gives access to the mosque side entrance and the minaret steps on both sides of the mosque. The third section of the northeast arcade is a private entryway for the sultan's kiosk protected with richly carved marble gates. There are additional ablution spigots along the basement walls of both arcades. Above, the pyramidal composition of domes and semi-domes is dominated by thick dome buttresses and their balancing turrets. The two minarets, located between the side entrances of the mosque and the courtyard, have three balconies of diminishing size that are adorned with muqarnas pendants and carved balustrades. The mosque was restored by the Directorate of Religious Endowments in 1936.  The Sultan's kiosk  The Sultan's kiosk is elevated above a vaulted passageway at the eastern corner of the mosque, resting on a watchtower that was once part of the city walls. It is a rectangular apartment composed of a wide corridor with that gives access to two rooms and an iwan that face the Golden Horn to the north. The rooms are equipped by furnaces and have a common lavatory between them. A long ramp, attached to the back of the kiosk, allowed the sultan to accede on his horse and a short passage at the end of the corridor lead into the sultan's lodge inside the mosque. Five stores have been carved into the space underneath the ramp.  On the exterior, the kiosk is picturesque with its projecting sections carried on carved consoles and its wide eaves that shade its simple brick and stone walls. It is equally known for the exquisite decoration of its interior. Sixteenth century Iznik tiles, arranged into large floral panels, cover the walls from the ground to the ceiling. A band of inscriptive tiles separate the two tiers of windows that illuminate its tall interior. The arched top windows feature arabesques of colored glass inside the two rooms and mother-of-pearl has been used to decorate the doors and the wooden panes of casements. The painted wooden dome of the large corner room, hidden under the flat roof of the kiosk, is one of the few remaining of its kind.  The Tomb of Turhan Hatice Sultan  The tomb is sits inside the walled-in cemetery that adjoins the market to the south of the mosque. It is a large domed room with a three-bay portico to the northeast and a vaulted room that projects southwest, and houses the graves of Turhan Hatice Sultan, Osman III (1618-1622), Mehmed IV (1648-1687), Mustafa II (1695-1703), Ahmed III (1703-1730) and Mahmud I (1730-1754), as well as numerous members of the royal family. Three tiers of windows illuminate the interior, which is decorated with floral tiles crowned by an inscriptive tile band above the lower casements. Its painted decoration was revised in 1959 based on the original motifs revealed under plasterwork of later periods. Two smaller tombs, named Havatin and Cedid Havatin, were added to the northwest of the tomb in the nineteenth century. A small library, built by Ahmed I (1589-1617), adjoins the portico.  The southeast precinct gate was torn down in 1904 along with the Quranic school (sibyan mektebi) and the room for Quran readers (darülkurra) to accommodate a bank headquarters. The sabil remains among office buildings to the southeast of the mosque.

Mihribah Sultan Mosque

Built near the walls of the old city entrance and standing on one of the highest hills of Istanbul, this mosque in Edirnekapi is the second mosque in Istanbul built for Mihrimah Sultan. 

Commissioned by her father, Süleyman the Magnificent (1520-1566), it was designed and built by Sinan and completed between 1562-1565. 

The Mihrimah Sultan Mosque is part of a complex, situated on a platform above its site, which includes a madrasa, a mausoleum, baths, and stores. The site is accessed via stairs leading to the courtyard through the portico. Its courtyard measures about fifty-seven by twenty-one and a half meters, and is surrounded on three sides by a portico that is one bay deep. Each bay has its own dome, for a total of thirty-six. Eleven student cells are found behind the eastern portico and nine are located behind the western portico; however, because of the site constraints, no student accommodation was built behind the northern portico. In this configuration, the madrasa functions as an enclosure, and classroom activities are shifted to the mosque. 

A marble fountain, whose roof is carried over sixteen double columns, is placed in the center of the courtyard; the south end of the courtyard is framed by the portico of the mosque. Surmounted by seven domes, each six meters in diameter, the portico of the mosque contains larger bays than the enclosure portico. These seven domes are carried by eight columns on the north, and rest on octagonal drums. 

Just behind the portico, the dominating single dome of the mosque rises thirty-five meters above the ground. Spanning twenty meters, the dome is carried over an almost skeletal system composed of four "elephant feet" (massive piers) and the arches between them. These polygonal piers, mostly projected on the façade for creation of a more spacious interior, rise to the level of the drum and increase the total mass available to support the load of the dome. An innovative design, this addition of these structural piers allows for a shift from purely load-bearing to thinner, heavily fenestrated walls. Thus, all four tympana feature three rows of windows with seven arched windows at the bottom, five arched and two circular windows in the middle, and three arched and two circular windows at the top. The dome itself also features twenty-four windows, greatly increasing the quantity of natural light within the interior; the total number of windows in the prayer hall is close to two hundred. 

Along the east-west axis, the mosque has side bays, each of which are topped by three domes. Measuring six meters in diameter, these domes sit on columns with carved stalactite capitals. The height of these side bays is almost half that of the central space, and they include three rows of windows, the same number found in the large tympana of the main dome. The mosque has a slim minaret with a single balcony constructed of stone that corresponds to the western bay of the portico. 

The luminous interior of the mosque features a marble mihrab with muqarnas carvings; the minbar, also of marble, stands to the west of the mihrab niche. Chasings, restored in the last renovations, and stained-glass windows add to the interior ornamentation. The mosque was partially damaged in several earthquakes, including in 1648, 1690, 1714 (when its domes were destroyed), and in 1894, after which it was temporarily closed. The Mihrimah Sultan mosque was most recently restored in 1956 and 1957. 

Fatih Mosque

The Fatih Mosque is the sanctuary of the imperial complex built by Mehmed II to commemorate his conquest of Constantinople in 1453. It stands at the center of an expansive precinct that was entered through gates along the northern and southern walls and between madrasa (medrese) buildings that enclose the space to the east and the west. The architect of the mosque, as of the complex, is Atik Sinan (Old Sinan). Built between 1463 and 1470, the complex was restored by Bayezid I following an earthquake in 1509. The dome of the mosque collapsed in the 1766 earthquake and was reconstructed entirely in 1771. 

Our knowledge of the original mosque is limited to the accounts and sketches of travelers and chroniclers. According to these sources, the mosque had large entry hall with a tall dome supported by a semi-dome of equal radius over the mihrab and three colossal arches on the remaining three sides. This ensemble was flanked by three domed bays to the east and west and was entered through an arcaded courtyard to the north. Three wings of the original courtyard have remained to our day. The new mosque by Mustafa III has also incorporated the portal, the mihrab and the lower shafts of the minarets belonging to the original structure. 

The reconstruction by head-architect Mehmed Tahir was realized in the appropriate historic style, distinct from the rococo fashion seen in the contemporary mosques of Nuruosmaniye and Laleli. The form, however, was altered for the most part. The new mosque is slightly wider than the old one and has a tall central dome held by semi-domes on all four sides in ways that resemble the classical mosques of the sixteenth century. Four small domes complete the corners of the pyramid-like space. The plan, oriented 32 degrees east of south, is wider than it is deep and is equal in size to the open courtyard that precedes the mosque. 

The courtyard has one main and two side entrances. The main portal is located to the northwest, on axis with the entry to the mosque and the ablution fountain at the center of the courtyard. It is adorned with seven rows of stalactites inside three arches. The side entrances, with cascading steps on the outside, are located where the courtyard gallery meets the taller portico of the mosque. Windows placed low in each bay of the gallery creates visual connection between the mosque courtyard and the lower grounds. The gallery columns are carved of granite, white marble and green stone. The tympana of each window is adorned with Koranic inscriptions in white and green marble on the precinct side. Ceramic tiles other inscriptions decorate the tympana of two windows inside the mosque portico. 

The mosque entrance is marked by the raised dome and the green and white voussoirs of the central bay of portico. The muqarnas portal, maintained from the original structure, has been transformed on the interior with the addition of a balcony above its ribbed semi-vault and a raised terrace (mahfil) with side bays at its front. The central dome, supported by two elephant piers and two porphyry columns in the old structure, is carried on four large piers that section the interior space. The decorative painting of the interior reflects the baroque influence on 18th century Ottoman architecture. 

While rebuilding the mosque, the side walls were taken in to accommodate sheltered terraces on either side that have rows of faucets for ablution. A ramp was built on the eastern corner adjoining the marble royal lodge (hünkar mahfili) to allow the sultan enter on his horse. The original Fatih Mosque had two minarets with single balconies. They were rebuilt with two minarets after the earthquake, incorporating the old foundations and the lower shafts. The minarets were refurbished in empire style during the 19th century; their stone spires were replaced by lead spires in 1965, with no alteration to the balconies. The mosque is currently under restoration to repair damage caused by the earthquake on August 18, 1999. 

by http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=2958

Zeyrek Churh Mosque

Zeyrek Mosque (full name in Turkish: Molla Zeyrek Camii), is a mosque on the European side of Istanbulmade of two former Eastern Orthodox churches and a chapel. It represents the most typical example of architecture of the Byzantine middle period in Constantinople and is - after Hagia Sophia - the second largest religious edifice built by the Byzantines still extant in Istanbul.

The complex is placed in the district of Fatih, in a popular neighborhood which got its name (Zeyrek) from the Mosque, and less than one km to the southeast of Eski Imaret Mosque. It is picturesque but (as of 2007) decayed and dangerous in the night hours.

Between 1118 and 1124 Byzantine Empress Eirene Komnena built a friary on this site dedicated to Christ Pantokrator. The monastery consisted of a main church, also dedicated to the Pantokrator, a library and a hospital.

After the death of his wife, shortly after 1124, Emperor John II Komnenos built another church to the north of the first dedicated to the Theotokos Eleousa ("the merciful"), and finally (the terminus ante quem is 1136 ) connected the two shrines with a chapel (dedicated to Saint Michael), which became the imperial mausoleum (heroon) of the Komnenos and Palaiologos dynasties.Besides many Byzantine dignitaries, Emperor John II and his wife Eirene, Empress Bertha of Sulzbach (also known as Eirene, and wife of Manuel I Komnenos), and Emperor John V Palaiologos were buried here.Zeyrek MosqueDuring the Latin domination after the Fourth Crusade, the complex was the see of the Venetian clergy, and the icon of the Theotokos Hodegetria was housed here. The monastery was also used as an imperial palace by the last Latin Emperor, Baldwin. After the Palaiologan restoration the monastery was used again by Orthodox monks. The most famous among them was Gennadius II Scholarius, who left the Pantokrator to become the first Patriarch of Constantinople after the Islamic conquest of Istanbul.

Shortly after the Fall of Constantinople the building was converted into a mosque. The Ottomans named it after Molla Zeyrek, a scholar who was teaching in the nearby Medrese. The Medrese occupied the rooms of the monastery, but these rooms vanished later.

Until a few years ago, the edifice was in a desolate state, and as a result it was added to the UNESCO watchlist of endangered monuments. During the recent years it underwent extensive (albeit still unfinished) restoration.

Today Zeyrek Mosque is - after Hagia Sophia - the second largest extant religious edifice built by the Byzantines in Istanbul.

To the East lies the Ottoman Konak (Zeyrek Hane), which has also been restored and is now open as a restaurant and tea garden.Zeyrek MosqueThe masonry has been partly built adopting the technique of the recessed brick, typical of the Byzantine architecture of the middle period .In this technique, alternate courses of bricks are mounted behind the line of the wall, and are plunged in a mortar's bed. Due to that, the thickness of the mortar layers is about three times greater than that of the bricks layers.

The south and the north church are both cross domed with polygonal apses having seven sides, and not five as was typical in the Byzantine architecture of the previous century. The apses have also triple lancet windows flanked by niches.

The southern church is the largest. To the East it has an esonarthex, which later was extended up to the imperial chapel. The church is surmounted by two domes, one over the naos and the other over the matroneum (a separate upper gallery for women) of the narthex. The decoration of this church, which was very rich, disappeared almost completely, except for some fragments of marble in the presbyterium and, above all, a beautiful floor in opus sectile made with colored marbles worked in cloisonné technique, where human and animal figures are represented . Moreover, fragments of colored glass suggest that the windows of this church were once made of stained glass bearing figures of Saints .Zeyrek MosqueThe imperial chapel is covered by barrel vaults and is surmounted by two domes too.

The north church has only one dome, and is notable for its frieze, carved with a dog's tooth and triangle motif running along the eaves line.

As a whole, this complex represents the most typical example of architecture of the Byzantine middle period in Constantinople.

By en.wikipedia.org

Rustem Pasa Mosque

Every day, tourists speaking scores of different tongues descend upon Istanbul’s justly renowned monuments and markets. The bustling metropolis is now a regular port-of-call for Mediterranean and Black Sea cruise ships disgorging their passengers for day-trips that invariably include the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and Covered Bazaar. Though more independent, the oil oligarchs in chauffeured Mercedes and booted-backpackers tend to visit exactly the same places as the mass-market guests… And virtually ALL of them miss the tiny Mosque of Rustem Pasha, a superb example of Ottoman Turkish architecture and applied floral ornament. The explanation for this omission lies in the urban streetscape: despite its location only a few meters from the fabled Spice Bazaar (a pungent stop on most tours), very few tourists stray from the standard routes to find this mosque, tucked into a busy commercial district where narrow alleys thwart the intrusion of tour buses.     As is the case of Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, the inscription is lacking over the entry of the Rüstem Paşa Mosque.  The octagonal fountain of the mosque is placed in a courtyard located on the street. An archway surrounds the high-walled courtyard of the mosque in three directions.    Secrets persist in this city whose ancient name, Byzantium, is synonymous with convolution and intrigue, and the Mosque of Rustem Pasha is one of mine. To find Rustem Pasha, one must ask along the Cicek Pazari, Balkapani, Hasircilar, and Tomruk streets—each named for commodities sold there—plants & flowers, honey, rush mats, lumber… Only then will one find this urban oasis of calm and beauty. As both the son-in-law and Grand Vizier of Suleyman I (a.k.a. “the Magnificent”), Rustem Pasha had wealth and access to the finest artists of the 16th century. To build his mosque, completed in 1562, he hired the sultan’s own master architect, Sinan, whose creativity is evident in this unusual building, erected a full storey above shops that obscure its very existence. Street-level shops are both a physical and financial foundation, the commercial rents contributing to the ongoing maintenance of the building. While this revenue system is common throughout the Muslim world, in this case, the low visibility of the mosque is remarkable. Even the short staircases leading up to the mosque are concealed. Ascending to the open courtyard of the mosque, one steps into a different world. Surrounding a courtyard with a central fountain are domed arcades casting welcome shadows above a deep, raised porch. In the cool shade, a seller of tespih, prayer beads, usually sits reading the Koran… Drawn in by colors glinting beneath the arcades, one approaches the porch to discover brilliant turquoise, vermilion, and cobalt panels of waving blooms and banners of dancing calligraphy. Thousands of tiles, as brilliant today as they were over four centuries ago, represent the best work of Istanbul’s court designers and the ceramicists of Iznik, whose kilns fired tableware and wall tiles for the Ottoman elite. Along the porch, tile renditions of pointed arches serve as niches to direct the faithful towards Mecca on Fridays, when there may be a full house and late-comers must pray in the open courtyard. The arches also frame views of the floriferous hereafter promised to the faithful. Even prior to entering the building, as eyes adjust from the brightness of the open courtyard to the shade of the porch, one realizes that this mosque is not only a place of prayer serving the local merchants five times each day. It is also metaphor for something else: a garden. Muslim monuments have long been sited amidst irrigated plots and orchards that beautify a building and expand its contemplative space. In addition, produce from such land has been sold to help support many a building complex with its attendant charitable activities. But in the middle of the 16th century, this Istanbul market was as congested as it is today; there was no open land to spare. So Sinan created space, almost literally out of thin air, by building above the street and taking what we might think of as “Ottoman air rights.” As is often the case, the first step to creating a garden is to set space apart. (The very word paradise is from the Persian, meaning “a wall around.”) Next, the architect brought the idea of the garden inside his creation through applied decoration. The flowers ornamenting this mosque would know no season, require no cultivation, and most importantly, would never fade. (Considering the ego and powerful political influence of his client, Sinan would have sought to flatter Rustem Pasha by assuring him of the “sustainability” of the decoration and the benevolent message it would carry to future generations visiting his mosque. But to continue with one’s visit in our own time… As an elderly attendant holds aside a heavy curtain across the central portal, one slips off shoes and steps into a soaring, but small, vaulted space. Multiple windows piercing tympani and domes allow light to flood the space. Sunbeams bounce from the glassy tiles covering virtually every eye-level surface. Inside and out, the mosque is strewn with flowers. Late Greek, Roman, and even Chinese references can be seen in the curling leaves and cloud-bands that characterize the “Saz Style.” Thickets of naturalistic flowering branches complement arrangements of clearly recognizable flora in the Imperial “Four Flowers Style,” which celebrates the rose, tulip, carnation, and hyacinth. The sultan’s ateliers at Topkapi employed skilled designers, miniature painters, and calligraphers whose influence was felt at every social level and in every medium from book illustration, metalworking, cabinetry, textiles, and ceramics to architecture. The marriage of exquisite Iznik tiles and architecture designed to showcase them is nowhere more harmonious than in the Mosque of Rustem Pasha.

Eyup Sultan Mosque

The Eyüp Sultan Mosque is situated outside the Walls of Constantinople, near the Golden Horn, in the district of Eyüp on the European side of İstanbul. Built in 1458, it was the first mosque constructed by the Ottoman Turks following their conquest of Constantinople in 1453. The complex is located in Eyüp on the shores of the Golden Horn. The mosque, mausoleum and hamam of the complex still stand today, but the medresse and soup kitchen for the poor no longer survive. The first structure built in the complex was the tomb of Ebu Eyyub El-Ensari a "sahabe", or companion of the Prophet Mohammed. He is said to have hosted Mohammed the first time he journeyed to Medina.

Known as "Eyüp Sultan", he is believed to have been martyred during the siege of İstanbul by the Umayyad people in 668-669. It is believed that after the conquest of Istanbul by the Ottomans, the site was revealed to Sultan Mehmed, the Conqueror's teacher, Akşemseddin, in a dream. The Conqueror had a mausoleum built on the site. It is built where Hz Eyyubu El-Ensari (An important Islamic character) was thought to be buried, he was one of the first acceptors of Islam and died during the first Islamic siege of Istanbul in 688-669. A tomb and a mosque was built by the command of Mehmed the Conqueror.

The mosque rises on the spot where Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (Turkish: Eyüp Sultan), the standard-bearer of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, died during the Arab assault on Constantinople in 670. His tomb is greatly venerated by Muslims, attracting many pilgrims. Some of the personal belongings of Prophet Mohammed are preserved inside this mosque. His other belongings are preserved in the Topkapı Palace and in several other mosques of İstanbul, which was the final seat of the Islamic Caliphate.

Two outstanding structures in this district - the Eyüp Sultan Mosque and the adjacent tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, a companion of Prophet Mohammed - draw thousands of people from across Turkey every year. In 1459 Sultan Mehmed, The Conqueror went on to build a mosque, a medresse, a soup kitchen and a hamam, so that the site became a full complex.

Located beyond the city walls on the southern reaches of the Golden Horn, this historic quarter derives its name, Eyüp, from Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, one of the standard-bearers of the Prophet. Mehmet II had a finely embellished mausoleum and a striking mosque built in memory of this distinguished companion.

The first mosque was built in 1458, but it was collapsed and with the command of Sultan Selim III it was rebuilt by Uzun Hüseyin Efendi between 1798-1800. The mosque for the last time was repaired in the period of Sultan Mahmud II. A thunderbolt had fallen to the minaret looking through the sea, the upper gallery of minaret was rebuilt. Mosque, can be grouped a 8 graded mosque.

The tomb of Hz Eyyubu El-Ensari was built in 1458 in the surrounding walls of the mosque. The tomb was decorated with tiles after 16th century, it was restored in the period of Sultan Ahmed I and Sultan Mahmud II. Although the silver carvings and candlesticks belong to recent periods, it is said that the fountain on the rear of the sarcophagus was found during discovery of the grave. Eyüp Sultan Tomb became a visiting place for the Islam World for many centuries.

The Mosque and Mausoleum of Eyup Sultan, located outside the corner where the land walls meet the walls along the Golden Horn, is considered a sacred site for Moslems. Eyup-el-Ensari was a standard-bearer of Mohammed and he died-here during an Arabic siege of the city in the 7th century. His grave was discovered at the conquest and later the mausoleum and the first mosque in Istanbul were built on this site.

The original mosque was destroyed in an earthquake and the present one was constructed in its place in 1800. On Fridays, holy days for Islam, throngs of the faithful visit the mausoleum. The old trees, flocks of pigeons, the praying believers and the visiting crowds create a mystical and colorful atmosphere around the mosque and the mausoleum. The walls of the mausoleum in the courtyard are covered with tiles from different periods.



Historical sources indicate that in Byzantine times this district was also a holy site where people came to visit the grave of a saint and to pray for rain during times of drought. The sultans succeeding Mehmet the Conqueror completed their coronation and sword-bearing ceremonies with a visit to the Eyup Sultan Mausoleum.

The vicinity of the Eyüp Sultan Mosque and the neighboring hills are occupied by cemeteries. The famous Pierre Loti Cafe is also in this district. The well-known poet and author Loti was enraptured by Istanbul and he came here often to watch the beauties of the Golden Horn of those days. The view from this small cafe and the terrace, particularly during full moon, leaves long-lasting impressions on the visitors.

The Eyüp Sultan Mosque becomes particularly crowded during Friday prayer. People from other districts come for the prayer as well. For many people, praying Sunday’s dawn prayer at this mosque has become a tradition, and the mosque is filled to capacity for the occasion, with rows of the faithful spilling into the streets around the mosque.


The first prominent mosque of İstanbul, Eyüp Sultan Mosque, was the first mosque to be built after the conquest together with a madrasah, imaret (public kitchen) and hamam (public bathhouse) in memory of the distinguished companion.

The mosque has a rectangular design with a mihrab (a niche in the front wall, indicating the direction of prayer). The central dome rests on six columns and is supported by arches based on two piers. According to historical sources, the mosque has undergone several renovations since 1458. There are galleries surrounding three sides of the mosque. The mihrab is vaulted (eyvan) and the pulpit is made of marble. The seven domes of the mosque’s portico stand on six columns.

The mosque’s former minarets, which were shorter, were replaced by new higher minarets in 1733. The minaret facing the Golden Horn was rebuilt in 1823 as it was damaged by a thunderbolt. The Sinan Pata pavilion located in front of the main gateway (of the inner courtyard) was demolished in 1798. An old plane tree now stands in the pavilion’s place, surrounded by railing and with a fountain on each of the four corners.

The first mosque built on the site was so badly damaged in the earthquake of 1776 that Sultan Selim III had to tear it down and rebuild it. A ceremony was held to reopen the mosque to worship in 1800. The mosque we see today is this second mosque built by Sultan Selim III. The mosque has a main dome of 17.50 meters in diameter and two minarets, built rather high according to the standards of 1723. The interior of the mosque is very plainly decorated, differentiating it from other mosques of the period, although the gilding decorating the mosque niche is eye-catching.

The most distinctive aspect of the complex is its mausoleum. It is octagonal in shape and has a single dome. The inner and outer walls of the mausoleum are covered with glazed tiles, and the lid of the sarcophagus is decorated with symbolic inscriptions. The protective shields in front of the sarcophagus are each a masterpiece, crafted out of pure silver.

The hamam, which is also part of the complex, is one of the oldest Ottoman hamams still surviving today. The medresse and soup kitchen, however, are no longer standing. Another feature of the Eyüp Sultan Complex is that for hundreds of years people wanted to be buried near the tomb of Eyyüb el-Ensari. As a result, the complex is now surrounded by graves and tombs. Following their ascent to the throne, Ottoman sultans girded their sword in the vicinity of Eyüp Sultan Mosque. The tradition is said to date back even to Byzantine times, when new rulers of the city did the same to signify their standing.

The outer courtyard of the Eyüp Sultan Mosque has two gates opening to the street. The inner courtyard has 13 domes based on 12 columns. The main round-shaped fountain is located at the center of the inner courtyard. The marble gateway to the inner courtyard holds nine lines of inscription.

Another feature that distinguishes Eyüp Sultan is that it is perhaps the only mosque which is surrounded by a very large number of graveyards and mausoleums clustered closely together. Since Abu Ayyub al-Ansari’s mausoleum was built, thousands of prominent personalities as well as commoners have been buried in its vicinity. Both sides of the mosque house centuries-old graveyards of Ottoman family members and state officials. Today, the Eyüp graveyard is one of the largest in İstanbul, but it is difficult to find a plot there as almost every pious Muslim would like to be buried there in the hope of being raised on the Day of Judgment together with the Prophet’s companion, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari.

The tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari
The tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (Eyüp Sultan Türbesi) has always been a center of attraction, drawing a variety of people, including Ottoman sultans, throughout its history. Today, it remains the district’s nucleus and holds a special place in people’s hearts.

Abu Ayyub al-Ansari still beckons thousands of people. Farmers from Anatolia, businessmen, statesmen, intellectuals, students, women from the countryside in their colorful local dress and foreigners all come to pay their respect, to recite verses of the Quran, to ask for the Creator’s blessing or simply to breathe the spiritual air radiating from area. For many people who come to visit İstanbul for whatever reason, Eyüp is a must see.

The number of visitors to the mosque and the tomb increases significantly during religious holidays, Friday prayers and the holy month of Ramadan in particular. Streets become overcrowded due to traffic during Ramadan, but despite having to wait in traffic for hours, they keep on coming. It is also a common tradition among newlyweds to visit the tomb as well as the mosque and for families to bring their sons to celebrate their circumcision.

Mehmet II had the tomb built in 1459 after his spiritual mentor, Akşemsettin, saw the burial site in a dream. A plane tree beside which al-Ansari’s body was discovered still stands in the middle of the inner courtyard of the Eyüp Sultan Mosque.

The outer and inner walls of the tomb are adorned with tiles. The single-domed tomb has an octagonal shape. That part of the tomb housing Abu Ayyub al-Ansari’s sarcophagus, enclosed in silver with beautifully adorned railings, is separated from the rest of the hall. The velvet curtains at the tomb are said to have been originally made for the shrine of the Prophet Mohammed, known as Rawdat-ul-Mutahhara (Dome of the Prophet); nevertheless the curtains could not be sent there due to the outbreak of World War I and were hung in Abu Ayyub al-Ansari’s tomb instead.

The mausoleum hall and the tomb chamber have been adorned with calligraphy, crystal chandeliers and silver decorations from different centuries. Furthermore, a footprint of the Prophet Mohammed in marble stone and framed in silver lays embedded in the wall that faces the direction of prayer.


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