Mosques
March 16, 2008
- Mosques
- Bayezid Mosque
- The mosque was built by Sultan Bayezid II in 1505. There are valuable tiles, engravings and inscriptions on the underside of the dome. In addition to the mosque, the complex consists of a library, the tombs of some well-known statesmen of the Ottoman era, and a beautiful colonnaded courtyard.
- Eyüp Sultan Mosque
- Built by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in the 15th century, it contains the tomb of Khalid Bin Zeyd. He was the standard-bearer of the Prophet Mohammed who died during an assault on the walls of Istanbul in 670. It is also a pilgrimage site.
- Fatih Mosque
- Built by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror between 1463 and 1470, it is one of the largest mosques in Istanbul. The whole complex consists of 16 medreses, a hospital, school, library, soup kitchen, caravanserai, and a printing house.
- Mihrimah Sultan Mosque
- Four huge arches support the central dome of the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque located at the Edirne gate of the old city walls. One hundred and sixty-one windows illuminate this mosque, built by the master architect Sinan in the second half of the 16th century for Mihrimah Sultan, the daughter of Süleyman the Magnificent.
- Nuruosmaniye Mosque
- Built by Sultan Mahmut I between 1748 and 1755, it has a medrese, a library and an elaborate fountain. It is located on the Nuruosmaniye Street entrance to the Covered Bazaar.
- Rüstem Paşa Mosque
- Built by the great Turkish architect Sinan in 1560 upon the order of Rüstem Paşa, the Grand Vizier and son-in-law of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. The mosque is noted for its İznik tiles.
- Sultanahmet Mosque (The Blue Mosque)
- Facing St. Sophia stands the supremely elegant Sultanahmet Mosque. Built between 1609 and 1616 during the reign of Sultan Ahmet I by the architect Mehmet, the building is more extensively known as the Blue Mosque because of its magnificent interior decoration of over 20,000 blue and white Iznik tiles. It is the only mosque in Istanbul with six minarets.
- Süleymaniye Mosque
- Built by the famous architect Sinan in 1550-1557, the Süleyman the Magnificent Mosque is considered the most beautiful and splendid of all the imperial mosques in the city. The Süleymaniye complex also includes medreses, a medical school, a hospice for the poor, a caravanserai and a Turkish bath.
- Şehzade Mosque
- Built by the celebrated architect Sinan in 1554-1558, this mosque has beautiful engravings on its two minarets.
- Yeni (New) Mosque
- Built by Valide Sultan Safiye, the mother of Sultan Mehmet IV and the wife of Sultan Murad III. There is an elegant fountain in the large courtyard. There is also the Sultan's Kiosk decorated with marvelous İznik tiles. The mosque is located in the main shopping district of the city.
