KUYUCU MURAT PASHA MOSQUE COMPLEX

Vezneciler, Fatih - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'46.3"N 28°57'29.2"E / 41.012863, 28.958122



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The building complex is about 17. Century with a madrasa, a tomb, primary school and sabil(serving fountain) perhaps at the time of chief architect Sedefkar Mehmet Ağa, during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Ahmet I. The inner part of the Madrasa is serving as Fine Arts Department of Istanbul Unıversity. The other parts and magazins are rented to individuals by the foundation.

The classical style Madrasah was built by Grand Vizier Kuyucu Murat Pasha, of Pomak origin, in 1610. L-shaped, with 14 rooms, the madrasah undergone numerous restorations during its history. Kuyucu Murat Pasha Madrasah in Vezneciler Street. Kuyucu Murat Pasha Madrasah is today the Faculty of Fine Arts of İstanbul University.

This elegant little complex was built in 1606 by Kuyucu Murat Paşa, Grand Vezir in the reign of Sultan Ahmet I. Murat Paşa received his nickname kuyucu, or the pit-digger, from his favourite occupation of supervising the digging of trenches for the mass burials of the rebels he had slaughtered.

The apex of the triangle is formed by the columned sebil, with simple classical lines. Facing the street is an arcade of shops in the middle of which a doorway leads to the courtyard of the medrese.

The tomb of the Kuyucu Murat Pasha, who died in 1611, is situated next to the madrasah. Also, buried in the tomb, are Abaza Ahmet Pasha (1638) and Cağaloğlu Sinan Paşazade Mehmet Pasha.

Entering, we find the türbe of the founder in the acute angle behind the sebil, and at the other end the dershane, which, as so often, served also as a small mosque. This building has been taken over and restored by Istanbul University; the courtyard has been roofed in and used as a small museum, while the dershane contains a library.

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MİHRİŞAH VALİDE SULTAN COMPLEX

Eyüp - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°02'54.5"N 28°56'03.5"E / 41.048472, 28.934306



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This baroque complex, which was built for Mihrişah Sultan, wife of Sultan Mustafa III and mother of Sultan Selim III, near to Bostan Pier of Eyüp in between 1792 - 1795, is quite broad. The complex was built by Arif Ağa the chief architect in between 1792 - 1794.

The inscription on the baroque - rococo style fountain, which dates to 1795 and is in the southeast direction of the complex, belongs to Galip who was the sheikh of the Galata Mevlevihane. The tomb, which was built in 1792 for Mihrişah Sultan who died in 1805, is a quite beautiful example of the Ottoman baroque style. The names of the Prophet Muhammad and four caliphs were inscribed on the roundels between the window arches.

Leaving Eyüp Mosque by the north gate, one finds oneself in a narrow street that leads down to the Golden Horn. Most of the left side of this street is occupied by the enormous külliye built in 1794 by Mihrişah Valide Sultan. This is one of the largest and most elaborate of all the baroque complexes and includes the türbe of the foundress together with a mektep, an imaret, and a splendid sebil and çeşmes.

The türbe is round, but the façade undulates turning it into a polygon, the various faces being separated by slender columns of red or dark grey marble; in general it recalls the türbe of Nakşidil at Fatih, though it is not quite so flamboyant.

The entrance is in a little courtyard filled with tombstones and trees, along one side of which runs the columned portico of the mektep or primary school.

Farther along the street another monumental gateway leads into the vast courtyard with more and tombstones and surrounded on three sides by the porticoes of the huge imaret or public kitchen. This is one of the very few imarets in Istanbul which still fulfil their function as food kitchens for the poor of the district; some 500 people are served daily at 11 o’clock with food to take away.

In leaving you should notice the magnificent sebil at the end of the garden wall on the street side. Continuing towards the water, one passes on the right the türbe and on the left the library of Hüsrev Paşa, dated 1839 and both in heavy Empire style; but the domes of the library reading-rooms contain a good example of that horrendous Italianate comic opera painted decoration of garlands, draperies and columns, which is so distressing when it occurs in classical buildings but is quite appropriate here.

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MEHMET AĞA COMPLEX

Fatih - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°01'36.9"N 28°56'43.9"E / 41.026917, 28.945528



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Close to Manyasizade Street, the Mehmet Ağa Mosque was built by Architect Davut Ağa in 1584-1585 for Mehmet Ağa, the chief eunuch of black eunuchs brought from Ethiopia as slaves. In addition, it is shown as one of the work of Sinan the Architect in some references. He was a high rank officer in the palace responsible from harem and the commander and the palace halberdiers.

The construction which was a Mimar Sinan monument was built according to topography as we encountered in many works of the master. The construction which has alcoves opened to a rectangular planned courtyard and alternative wall masonry still serves as cultural centre.

In the square planned mosque, which has a central dome measuring 11 m in diameter and very beautiful tiles of İznik, 16th century tiles of Kütahya and 18th century tiles of the Palace of the Porphyrogenitus can still be seen today.

A square room covered by a dome, with a projecting apse for the mihrab and an entrance porch with five bays. But unlike most mosques of this simple type, the dome does not rest directly on the walls but on arches supported by pillars and columns engaged in the wall; instead of pendentives there are four semidomes in the diagonals. The mosque is about 380 m2.

Even though the name of the architect Davut Ağa is mentioned on the inscription panel, this mosque is listed among Sinan’s architectural works in Tuhfetü’l Mimaran. Since Sinan is credited as the architect, we assume that he greatly contributed to the design of the mosque. In general, it displays well-preserved architectural characteristics of the period of Sinan.

The tile rosettes on the pendentives in the interior are interesting and highly refined. Mehmet Ağa had been brought to the Palace as a slave from Ethiopia and had risen to the level of Chief Eunuch of the Harem.

Madrasa which was the part of a small complex was built by Hacı Mehmet who was one of the Darüssade aghas of Topkapı Palace in 1580. The madrasah, having 10 rooms and one big classroom, was later converted into a home for women. This madrasah, was given to the Society for the Protection of Children from the beginning of the Turkish Republic until 1986. It later was assigned to the Authors Association of Turkey in 1989.

As understood from the inscription on his tomb that is situated in the threshold of the mosque, he is known to have died in the 1590. There ara two morc mosques in Üsküdar, a madrasa, a school, and a water fountain on the Divan Road, in front of Hoca Rüstem Mosque built for Mehmed Aga. Architect of the mosque is Davut Ağa.

lts mihrab and minbar are made of marble and the tile panels crowning the lower windows and the tiles embracing thr mihrab from both sides ara thr ornamentation apparatus which ara 16th century Kütahya or Iznik tiles and or ara the tiles belonging to 18th century Tektur palace.

Dated to 1586, the bath built by the architect of the complex, Davut Ağa, can be seen near the mosque. The Bath House, which still continues to serve the public, is next to the mosque and the tomb, and open to public. Just to the south outside the precincts stands a handsome double bath, also a benefaction of Mehmet Ağa and presumably built by Davut Ağa.

The general plan is standard: a large square camekân, the dome of which is supported on squinches in the form of conches; a cruciform hararet with cubicles in the corners of the cross, but the lower arm of the cross has been cut off and turned into a small soğukluk which leads through the right-hand cubicle into the hararet; in the cubicles are very small private washrooms separated from each other by low marble partitions – a quite unique disposition. As far as one can judge from the outside, the women’s section seems to be a duplicate of the men’s.

The square planned tomb of Mehmet Ağa in the complex is relatively plain. The Mehmet Ağa Tomb is nearby, next to the mosque. Its square plan is original, yet it has lost some of its 16th century features. The Tomb can be viewed from the outside; it is closed to visitors at this time.

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HACI BEŞİR AĞA MOSQUE

Gülhane, Fatih - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'38.6"N 28°58'38.1"E / 41.010722, 28.977250



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A small mosque with an elegant sebil at the street corner. This mosque and its külliye were built in 1745 by Beşir Ağa, Chief of the Black Eunuchs in the reign of Sultan Mahmut I. Hacı Beşir Ağa Complex is located in the Fatih (old Eminönü) District of İstanbul. Hacı Beşir Ağa who was the Chief Eunuch of the Sultan’s Harem (called the Darüssaade Ağası) in the middle of the eighteen centrury (1744-1745).

The complex is consist of a mosque, a library, a madrasa, a tekke (dervish lodge), a sebil (kiosk for the distribution of drinking water or sherbet to passers-by in cups), two fountains, seven shops and a place is attached to the east side of the mosque which could be used as a primary school or a special place for Sultan.

Except from the madrasa and tekke the complex was restorated by The General Directorate for Foundations between the November of 2008 and January of 2010. During the restoration lots of expert (such as architect, restorer, chemist, art historian) worked together as a team and all works have been documented.

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KÖPRÜLÜ MEHMET PAŞA MOSQUE COMPLEX

Divanyolu, Fatih - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°02'02.0"N 28°42'11.0"E / 41.033889, 28.703056



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Grand Vizier Köprülü Mehmet Pasha and his son Köprülü Ahmet Pasha, from the famous Köprülü family, commissioned Chief Architect Kasım Ağa to build the Köprülü Complex between 1659 - 1667 opposite the Tomb of Sultan Mahmut II.

The mosque is a few steps beyond the türbe, projecting out into the sidewalk of Divan Yolu. The mosque, which is octagonal in shape, was once the dershane, or lecture-room, of the Köprülü medresesi, most of which has now disappeared.

The complex of mosques, madrasas, mausoleums, fountains, springs and the library, the inn and the shops has occurred, a large space. As by now, you have seen a variety of complexes on your Istanbul tours that were built by viziers, pashas or the royal family members.

The complexes that government officials donate are smaller in size then the complexes that royal family members donate. This is a way of showing respect to royal family. Köprülü Complex consists of a masjid (a small place for prayers), a madrasah (teological school), a tomb, a sebil, a fountain and some stores.

Madrasah
The madrasah was renovated in 1873.

Fountain
The fountain of the complex was completed in 1661.

Tomb
Köprülü Mehmet Pasha, died in 1661, his son Fazıl Ahmet Pasha and Ayşe Hanım were buried in the tomb.

Vezir Han
On the side - street of Janissaries Street, the Vizier Han was built by Grand Vizier Fazıl Ahmet Pasha between 1659 and 1660, as a part the Köprülü Complex. The Han, which was built of stone and brick, has two courtyards and two floors. The epigraph on the doorway was inscribed at the restoration in the years 1894 - 1895. There is a masjid in the second yard that was not used.

The first courtyard is triangular and the second is a trapezoid measuring 70 x 47 x 65 x 45 m. The Han remained as a slave bazaar until slavery was abolished in the Ottoman Empire in 1855. Mustafa Ziya Bey began to publish the first sports gazette of the Ottoman Empire which commercial on the 11th of October 1910 in Vezir Han.

Köprülü Library
Located on Divanyolu Street across from the Tomb of Sultan Mahmut II in the Eminönü of Istanbul, the Köprülü Library was built by Fazıl Ahmet Pasha (1635 - 1676), the son of Sadrazam (Grand Vizier) Köprülü Mehmet Pasha, on the last wish of his father. Köprülüzade Fazıl Mustafa Pasha completed the establishment of the library with the composition of a vakıf [non-for-profit organization] charter in 1678.

The library was opened with its staff being composed of three librarians, one binder, and one janitor. The first book was donated by the Köprülü family, and the number of available books continued to increase with further donations and purchases. Of all the donations to the library, those by Köprülü Mehmet Pasha, Fazıl Ahmet Pasha, Hacı (Hafiz) Ahmet Pasha, and Mehmet Asım Bey were among the highest.

Its collection contains more than 1,000 booksand approximately 3,000 manuscripts in Turkish, Arabic and English as well as approximately 1,500 printed works. The author, book, and subject lists of manuscripts and printed works are organized according to the Dewey Decimal Classification Method. The Köprülü Library is one of the first examples of an independent library design in Istanbul

It is located in a garden, whose three sides are surrounded by streets and is constructed with alternating stones and bricks. It is covered by a dome placed on an octagonal rim on the outside with a pendentive square plan. The arcade part, which is reached by a four-step staircase in the western section of the library, was moved to the front and has assumed a T-shape.

There is a diamond-shaped head placed on top of six marble pillars, spire arch arcade is covered with four domes. The library is accessed through a low-pitched door in the central axis of the arcade. The interior is illuminated by windows, with one on each side, two in the upper level, and three each with six upper part windows across the entrance. There are spire discharge arches with rectangular jambs. The interior surface of the dome and pendentives are decorated with over-the-gate pen works.

Both "C" and "S" curves are attract visitors’ attention among these brown, black and red ornamentations. Written underneath the flower designs are the word, “Maşallah,” and date, 1181 Hijri (1667-1668). Furthermore, both “Masallah” and the date of 1289 Hijri (1872) and 1327 Hijri (1911) are written on the inner door. Based on these inscriptions, it is understood that the library underwent  restoration in both 1872 and 1911.

During the restoration in 1911, the electric lines were floored, cushions and book lecterns were removed, and in addition, tables and chairs were replaced. Only 9 out of the 12 rooms of the madrasah are preserved and its architect was probably Chief Architect Mustafa Ağa.

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DAMAT İBRAHİM PASHA COMPLEX

Şehzadebaşı, Fatih - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'23.4"N 28°58'28.6"E / 41.006500, 28.974611



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This complex was built in 1720 by the order of Damad Ibrahim Pasha (1718-1730) who held the office of Grand Vizier three times of Ottoman Empire. It is located at the corner of Dede Efendi Street and Şehzadepaşa Street. The complex was built by Chief Architect Kayserili Mehmet Ağa for Nevşehirli Damat Ibrahim Pasha in the 1720s.

It is one of the most important works of Damat Ibrahim Pasha Complex. If we consider water-tank with a fountain as the centre of Complex, Madrasa covers a half of the complex. All the other parts of complex are on the other side of water-tank. Damad Ibrahim Pasha Complex was built with the aim of being used as Darul Hadis Madrassa and library. Today madrasa is used as cultural centre by East Turkistan Foundation.

Built between 1726-1727 under Damat İbrahim Pasha's direction, it consists of a mosque, madrasah, sabil, cemetary, library, sibyan mektebi (junior school), imaret (kitchens for madrasah students) and Turkish bath.

Kurşunlu Mosque is known as Damat İbrahim Pasha Mosque. However because its domes are made out of lead, locally it is called Kurşunlu Mosque (Leaded Mosque). It was built by head architect Mehmet Ağa and his foreman Serkis and located in a courtyard surrounded by high and thick walls. The courtyard has three entrances.

The west side door which is also used today has double arches. The inner arch is decorated with verses from the era's famous poet Nedim.The main area of the mosque is reached through a wooden door with two arches. The lower arch is decorated with verses from Seyyid Vehbi. This square shaped main area is covered with a dome.

The exterior of the building has a simple architecture, however the interior has been adorned with stencilled motifs from the Lale Era. The minaret on the north side of the mosque is built in the baroque style and embellished with Acanthus leaves. In the years when the schoolroom of the complex was transformed into a mosque, the minaret with a sherefe (minaret balcony) was added to the present complex. This structure is the only remaining part of the complex that has survived until today.

The Ablutions Fountain stands in the middle of the courtyard, on top of 8 marble pillars and covered with lead. The body of the water tank has 12 corners. The taps are separated by small marble pillars. The gutter of the wooden interior domes is decorated with geometrical shapes and zigzags. The water-tank with a fountain of the mosque is located at the woodland in the complex.

As for the fountain of the mosque, it was located in the middle of the courtyard, amid the trees. The fountain of the complex was damaged during road works. The public fountain of the complex, according to its inscription, was finished in 1719.

Madrasah (School) built at the same time, it stands on the west side of the mosque. Cut stone was used in its construction. After being refurbished in 1961 it was reopened as a Public Library. The arched entry door of the madrasah contains an epigraph from Seyyid Vehbi. A square shaped courtyard holds domed madrasah rooms containing cupboards and stoves. There are also iwan rooms that were used by the students studying in the madrassa.

The rooms with eyvan, a vaulted room with one side open to a courtyard, located in the same direction of the graves, was built for madrasah (Qur'an School) students. In the period of its activity as a madrasah, it is known that the little complex had been decked out with a crowded permanent staff. Flowers motif used in the ornaments of the structure showed parallelism with the understanding of architecture during the “Tulip Era” (1718-1730) and increases its artistic value.

Library located to the north east of madrasah, it dates to 1727. The interior of this domed square structure is decorated with stencils. It is known that Damat İbrahim Pasha presented 187 volumes to the library. The structure with portico and dome, opposite the masjid on the right side of the crowned gate, is a library.

Imaret (Kitchen) built in 1726, it stands south of the madrasah. It consists of two rooms, a kitchen, toilets and a storage room carved in rock. It was used as a prison for some time and in 1949 transformed into a museum. Today it is used as a soup kitchen.

Sibyan Mektebi (Junior School) located to the south of the Imaret in the same courtyard, the first floor of this two-storey building was carved in rock. Today it is used as a storage depot. The second floor is made of cut stone and has three domed rooms each holding a window looking onto the courtyard.

Turkish Bath built in 1727 to the north of the mosque complex, it consists of separate buildings that are made out of cut stone. An octagonal saloon on the top floor holds changing rooms with wood cladding. There is an octagonal pool in the middle of the domed saloon.

Fountains are two fountains in the mosques complex; the first one is on the north wall of the mosque courtyard, and the other one, which holds an epigraph by Seyyid Vehbi (a poet), is on the supporting wall on the corner of Sibyan Mektebi. Both are adorned with various decorations. The public fountain of the complex, located on Şehzadepaşa Street, came to harm during road construction.

The grave of Damat Ibrahim Paşa and his sons are present in the southern section of the complex’s courtyard. The graves of Damat İbrahim Pasha and his sons, Mehmet and Mustafa, are situated in the southern section of the complex’s courtyard.

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HEKİMOĞLU ALİ PAŞA MOSQUE

Davutpaşa, Fatih - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'23.3"N 28°56'05.9"E / 41.006472, 28.934972



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Hekimoğlu Ali Paşa was the son (oğlu) of a court physician (hekim) and himself was Grand Vezir for 15 years under Sultan Mahmut I. The mosque dates from 1734-35, the architect was Ömer Ağa. It has characteristics of the classical style and of the new baroque style.

This classically planned three gated mosque was consructed of kufeki stones and adorned with tiles from Tekfur Palace. Inside lighted by hundred windows, the main dome of the mosque is borne by six elephant feet. In the tile panel around the mihrab, Ayet-el Kursi (a verse) is written. The mosque was partly rebuilt, and the minaret completely in 1960.

Along with the mosque, a tomb, lodge, fountain, library, public fountain were built as a part of the social complex. Made from sandstone, the mosque has 3 three courtyard doors and 3 three main doors. The entrance door is stone-vaulted and there are stairs rising up to the main doors.The courtyard is covered with stones and there are pine and plane trees in the garden of the mosque.

The fountain has a wooden roof supported by six marble columns. Next to the fountain, there is a lodge where the tombs of Hekimoglu Ali Pasha and his family were situated. Moreover, the beautiful tiles which were used for interior decoration consists of a large part of the tiles used in the old Byzantine architecture, the Tekfur Palace. The other tiles were brought from Kutahya which is famous for its kiln products and well-known as a tile center of Turkey. The minbar in the narthex gained recognition as a unique piece of art.

At the corner of the precinct wall beside the north entrance is a very beautiful sebil of marble with five bronze grilles; above runs an elaborate frieze with a long inscription and fine carvings of vines, flowers and rosettes in the new rococo style that had recently been introduced from France. The façade of the türbe along the street is faced in marble, corbelled out towards the top and with a çeşme at the far end. It is a large rectangular building with two domes dividing it into two equal square areas.

Farther along the precinct wall stands the monumental gateway with a domed chamber above; this was the library of the foundation. Though the manuscripts have been transferred elsewhere, it still contains the painted wooden cages with grilles in which they were stored; an elegant floral frieze runs round the top of the walls and floral medallions adorn the dome.

From the columned porch at the top of the steps leading to the library, one commands a good view of the whole complex, with its singularly attractive garden full of tall cypresses and aged plane trees, and opposite the stately porch and very slender minaret of the mosque.

The mosque itself, raised on a substructure containing a cistern, is purely classical in form. Indeed its plan is almost an exact replica of that at Cerrah Paşa, which we saw earlier on this tour. In contrast to that, the present building is perhaps a little weak and effeminate; there is a certain blurring of forms and enervating of structural distinctions, an effect not mitigated by the pale colour of the tilerevetment.

The tiles are still Turkish, not manufactured at Iznik as formerly, but at the recently established kilns at Tekfur Saray. All the same, the general impression of the interior is charming if not exactly powerful. There is a further hint of the new baroque style in one of its less pleasing traits in some of the capitals of the columns both in the porch and beneath the sultan’s loge.

The traditional stalactite and lozenge capitals have been abandoned there in favour of a very weak and characterless form, such as an impost capital which seems quite out of scale and out of place. The whole complex within the precinct wall has been very completely and very well restored. Outside the precinct, across the street to the north-east, stands the tekke of the foundation, but little is left of it save a very ruinous zaviye, or rooms for the dervish ceremonies.

According to the Turkish inscription upon its gate, the madrasah was built by the Architect Ömer Ağa between in years 1734 and 1735. The books of the library, consructed on the top of main gate, were carried to the Süleymaniye Library.

Next to the fountain, there is a lodge where the tombs of Hekimoglu Ali Pasha and his family were situated. The Pasha, who became grand vizier thrice, was killed by being poisoned in Kütahya in 1758. The square planned tomb of Ali Pasha was built by Architect Mustafa Ağa and Simon Kalfa.

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MERZİFONLU KARA MUSTAFA PASHA COMPLEX

Divanyolu, Fatih - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'32.2"N 28°58'06.0"E / 41.008944, 28.968333



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

The complex was not yet completed when the Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha, who became Chief Captain of the Sea first and Grand Vizier afterwards, was executed after the unsuccessful siege of Vienna in 1663. It is situated in Divanyolu street. It was initiated by Merzifonlu Pasha in 1681 and after his death was completed by his son Damat Ali Pasha in 1690.

Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha (Born 1634/1635 - died 25 December 1683) was an Ottoman military leader and grand vizier who was a central character in the empire's last attempts at expansion into both Central Europe and Eastern Europe.

Born to Turkish parents in Merzifon, he was adopted into the powerful Köprülü family at a young age and served as a messenger to Damascus for his brother-in-law, the grand vizier Ahmed Köprülü. He directed in the name of Köprülü family's mukata' or tımar fields in Merzifon. After distinguishing himself, Merzifonlu Mustafa became a vizier in his own right and, by 1663 or 1666, Kapudan Pasha (Grand Admiral of the Ottoman Navy).

He was buried in the tomb complex, which was completed by Architect Hamdi in 1690, by his son Ali Bey. According to records, after Kara Mustafa Pasha died, funds were borrowed for the completion of the madrasah and complex.

Some stores of the complex were demolished during the extension works of Divanyolu at the beginning of the 20th century, and the madrasah and the primary school were restored in 1690.

This octagonal mosque was constructed with küfeki stone. The mosque’s interior decoration, which was restored after many years, is not notable. Octogonal designed mosques are very rare.

The madrasah of the complex is a research institute, which was established on behalf of the famous poet, Yahya Kemal Beyatlı (1884 - 1958). There is a small cistern under the complex.

Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha Public Fountain protruding as if it were challenging the construction plan, the public fountain of Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha Social complex, built In Çarşıkapı in 1684, is one of the biggest, the most beautiful and the latest of the classical public fountains.

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CERRAH PAŞA MOSQUE COMPLEX

Cerrahpaşa, Fatih - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'28.1"N 28°56'42.5"E / 41.007806, 28.945139



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

Located in Cerrahpaşa street, the Cerrah Pasha Complex was built by the Architect Davut Ağa for Cerrah Mehmet Pasha between 1593 and 1594. The Complex was damaged by the fire of 1660 and the minaret by the lightning in 1820. The Complex was largely restored after the fire of 1884.

A short way along the left side of the avenue we come to an imposing  mosque in its walled garden. This is Cerrah Paşa Cami, after which the avenue and the surrounding neighbourhood are named. Cerrah Mehmet Paşa, who founded it.

Cerrah Mehmed Pasha was an Ottoman statesman. He was Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1598-1599. Cerrah Mehmet, who rose rapidly after circumcising Sultan Mehmet III, became grand vizier in 1598. The Pasha was discharged at the end of the unsuccessful Hungarian campaign even though Sultan Mehmet III warned the Pasha that he would have him cut up into four pieces if he was defeated.

Cerrah Mehmet Pasha, who died in 1604 and was buried with his three sons in a octagonal tomb made of cut stone. The türbe of the founder, a simple octagonal building, is in front of the mosque beside the entrance gate. Nearby is a ruined şadırvan and outside in the corner of the precinct wall is a pretty çeşme. The complex originally included an interesting hamam which unfortunately has been destroyed.

An Arabic inscription over the door gives the date as A.H. 1002 (A.D. 1593); the architect was Davut Ağa, Sinan’s successor as Chief Architect. One might rank Cerrah Paşa Camii among the half-dozen most successful of the vezirial mosques.

Its plan presents an interesting modification of the hexagon-in-rectangle type. The four domes which flank the central dome at the corners, instead of being oriented along the diagonals of the rectangle, are parallel with the cross axis. This plan has the advantage that, for any hexagon, the width of the building can be increased without limit.

Eight antique columns stand on the narthex of the mosque, which was constructed of cut kufeki stone. Four columns were made of Marmara island granite, two from Teb granite, two from Egypt marble. The hand - carvings seen on the central dome 13 meters in diameter, are from a late period.

The exterior, too, is impressive by its proportions, in spite of the ruined state of the porch and the unfortunate restoration job that was done on the domes and semidomes. The porch originally had seven bays and its eight handsome antique columns are still standing, four of Proconnesian marble, two of Theban granite, and two of Syenitic granite.

Such a plan was never used by Sinan and is seen again only in Hekimoğlu Ali Paşa Camii, which is a little farther west on this same hill. The mihrab is in a rectangular apse which projects from the east wall. The galleries, which run around three sides of the building, are supported by pretty ogive arches with polychrome voussoirs of white stone and red conglomerate marble; in some of the spandrels there are very charming rosettes.

In short, the interior is elegant in detail and gives a sense of spaciousness and light. The exterior, too, is impressive by its proportions, in spite of the ruined state of the porch and the unfortunate restoration job that was done on the domes and semidomes. The porch originally had seven bays and its eight handsome antique columns are still standing, four of Proconnesian marble, two of Theban granite, and two of Syenitic granite.

Located on the western side of the tomb, building which has a square plan and a tiled roof, is muvakkithane (timekeeping house). Finished in 1598, the double bath of the complex was removed between 1908 and 1910.

Cerrah Mehmet Paşa, who founded it, had been a barber and therefore a surgeon (cerrah), having gotten this official title by performing the circumcision of the future Sultan Mehmet III. The latter in 1598 appointed him Grand Vezir and wrote him a letter warning him that he would be drawn and quartered if he did not do his duty. But he was only required to do his duty for six months or so, for he was dismissed - without being drawn and quartered - in consequence of the ill success of the war against Hungary.

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MİHRİMAH SULTAN ÜSKÜDAR MOSQUE

Üsküdar Square - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°01'36.7"N 29°00'57.9"E / 41.026861, 29.016083



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Located in Üsküdar Square across from the quay, the complex was built by Sultan Süleyman, the Magnificient daughter, Mihrimah Sultan, in 1548. The architect was Mimar Sinan. The complex contains a mosque, medresse, tomb, primary school, caravanserai, soup kitchen, hospice and hospital. Only a part of the complex has survived.

It is one of the two complexes in Istanbul which were built on the instructions of Süleyman the Magnificient in 1548 in memory of his daughter Mihrimah Sultan, and has an attribute of carrying the same name in Edirnekapi District. The historical complex was located over against the port side of Uskudar in 1548. In addition, it was built by Sinan the Architect  in the same period with the Şehzade Mosque (Prince Mosque).

It contained a mosque, a school for children, a fountain, a medresse consisting of sixteen rooms, a guesthouse of eight rooms, a stable, a larder, a store house and a caravanserai. It now consists of five sections: mosque, madrasah (theological school attached to a mosque), the tomb of Sinaneddin Yusuf Paşa and the tomb of İbrahim Ethem Paşa.

Originally built by the seaside, the complex includes mosque, madrasa, boys’ school buildings, and the tomb of the Grand Admiral Sinan Pasha. The plan of the mosque is unique to the architecture of Sinan and the design scheme has never been repeated again. Its courtyard is elevated, overlooking the hustle and bustle of Üsküdar Square. One of the main and unique design features here is the way one enters the interior space, underneath the main dome as in the Edirnekapı Mihrimah Sultan Mosque. Since the mosque is at a busy central point in the city, it is open until late every day.

Sinan never designed a second mosque with three domes, leaving the Mihrimah Sultan as the only example of its type. However, this exploration of structural configurations came to influence his later work.

The Mihrimah Sultan Mosque (Iskele Mosque, Jetty Mosque, Üsküdar Quay Mosque, Turkish: Mihrimah Sultan Camii, İskele Camii) is an Ottoman mosque located in the historic center of the Üsküdar municipality in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Mihrimah Sultan Mosque is one of Üsküdar's best-known landmarks and takes its nicknames from the ferry landing near which it stands. It is the first of two mosques built by Mihrimah Sultana, daughter of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and wife of Grand Vizier Rüstem Pasha. It was designed by Mimar Sinan and built between 1546 and 1548. It is a massive structure on a raised platform and already shows several hallmarks of Sinan's mature style; a spacious, high-vaulted basement, slender minarets, a single-domed baldacchino flanked by three semi-domes ending in three exedrae and a broad double portico. Mihr-î-Mah means Sun and Moon.

One of the early works of Mimar Sinan, this complex was built on the instructions of Süleyman the Magnificient in 1548 in memory of his daughter Mihrimah Sultan, whose mother was the famous Roxlene. It contained a mosque, a school for children, a fountain, a medresse consisting of sixteen rooms, a guesthouse of eight rooms, a stable, a larder, a store house and a caravanserai.

Mosque

On a sloping site along Iskele Square in Üskudar, the mosque has a rectangular plan aligned on the northeast-southwest axis. The diameter of the dome of the mosque is 10 m. There are two huge minarets having one balcony (sherefe) each. The decorative niche (mihrab) and the marble pulpit (mimber) reflect the formats of the Classical Ottoman Architecture. It is one of the few premier structures preserving the traces of the past on the Anatolian side of Istanbul. While the structure offers a distinct aesthetic view with a porch that covers the last prayer section, there is a twenty-cornered fountain located on the seaward side of the mosque.

It is entered from a portal on the northwest, the central bay of a five-bay portico. Surmounted by five domes, the open portico is carried by six columns along its northwest side. Running along the northwest side of the mosque is a secondary arcade, which is as deep as the portico and is carried over pointed arches resting on relatively slim columns. This arcade extends northwest to cover the circular fountain, which is on axis with the portal of the mosque. Made of marble, the portal carries an inscription with the construction date of 1547 that names Mihrimah Sultan and Süleyman the Magnificent as its patrons.

Architect Sinan opted for a design of the mosque more modern than that of Ayasofya Mosque. The half dome which is usually present above the entryway is absent; immediately upon entering the mosque one is under the main dome. The "Şadırvan", or ablution fountain, is one of the finest of all the mosques in İstanbul . The repousse ornamentation found on the window shutters, pulpits, and the marble mosque niche (mihrap) are products of expert workmanship.

The Mihrimah Sultan is one of Sinan's early mosques, where he made a structural experiment, choosing to flank the main dome on three sides with three half-domes. This was the first time Sinan used half-domes, with the end result that the spatial organization and the structural system of the mosque are not perfectly resolved. The asymmetry in the structure entailed both a heavy structure and an unusual configuration on the southeast elevation, which ended abruptly.

The portico was not adequate to overcome the effect of the southeast elevation, so another large arcade was added, which extended to cover the fountain. Another side effect of the asymmetrical design was the immediate entry into the prayer hall, which impaired the sense of spatial depth. However, this quick entry also created the opportunity for the visitor to experience all of the interior space simultaneously.

Above the prayer hall, the main dome has sixteen windows; the main dome and the three half-domes are supported with twin buttresses that appear on four sides of the exterior. The south and east corner bays of the prayer hall are surmounted with two smaller domes. The muezzin's platform (muezzin mahfili), which is carried over five piers, is articulated as a small square projection southwest of the entrance. The minbar is placed just across the muezzin's platform on the qibla wall, southwest of the mihrab. The mihrab itself is a marble niche with muqarnas carvings above.

The interior space is adorned with painted ornamentation, and the upper windows, as well as the windows in the domes, are filled with stained glass. The mosque has two minarets on the north and west corners of the prayer hall, both with single balconies. They are entered from the first and fifth bays of the portico. Their balconies have balustrades with stonework carried over four rows of stalactite carvings.

On the righthand wall of the mosque, next to the entrance to the graveyard, there is a sun dial, built by the Dervish Gaybî Muhyiddin, the timekeeper of the Yeni Camii. This was built in 1769 and was called the "Basita". The clock is one of the best examples of sun dials in İstanbul.

Mihrimah Sultan Complex
The Mihrimah Sultan mosque was built for Mihrimah Sultan, daughter of Süleyman the Magnificent (1520-1566), as part of a complex that includes a madrasa, an infirmary, a school, and baths.

One of the early works of Mimar Sinan, this complex was built on the instructions of Süleyman the Magnificient in 1548 in memory of his daughter Mihrimah Sultan, whose mother was the famous Roxlene. It contained a mosque, a school for children, a fountain, a medresse consisting of sixteen rooms, a guesthouse of eight rooms, a stable, a larder, a store house and a caravanserai.

The other sections of the mosque could not be reached until today. The Madrasah (religious school) is composed of 16 rooms that is being used as a health clinic today, the tomb of the two sons of Mihrimah Sultan, the tomb of the Osman Ağa, son of Rüstem Pasa-Grand (Grand Viziers of the Ottoman Empire), and the tomb of Sinan Paşa, Admirals of the Navy  (Kaptan-ı Derya) are the structures that have stood until today.

Unfortunately, the soup kitchen and the caravanserai of this complex have not survived. At the time of "Sürre Alayı", an event which was organized during Ottoman times to send candidates for the pilgrimage to Mekka and Medina every year, many of the candidates stayed in the Mihrimah Sultan caravanserai.

The other building in the complex is a Quranic primary school (Sıbyan Mektebi), which consisted of a domed porch and classroom. The tabhane (hostel) disappeared during the fire in 1772 and the inn and kitchen have also been completely cleared away.

Today, the medresse is used as a health center and the school for the children is now a childrens library. There is a fountain located next to the wall closest to the Bosphorus and another one under the school. The Square Baths (the Grand Baths) was removed at the end of the 80's. The building that has replaced it no longer resembles the original form, and is now used as a super market.

The medresse is found to the north of the mosque. The interior of the medresse no longer resembles its original form and is used as a health center today. The tombs of Mihrimah Sultan's two sons and Prime Minister İbrahim Ethem Paşa can be seen between the mosque and the medresse. The primary school is found on the kiblah (direction facing Mecca) side of the mosque. The hospice, soup kitchen and caravanserai have not survived.

On the righthand wall of the mosque, next to the entrance to the graveyard, there is a sun dial, built by the Dervish Gaybî Muhyiddin, the timekeeper of the Yeni Camii. This was built in 1769 and was called the "Basita". The clock is one of the best examples of sun dials in İstanbul.

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HASEKİ SULTAN (HÜRREM) COMPLEX

Haseki, Fatih - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'30.8"N 28°56'30.6"E / 41.008556, 28.941833



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Haseki Hürrem Sultan Complex is located on Sami Pasha (Özbek Süleyman Efendi) street, on Haseki neighborhood in Fatih district a little further up from the Bayram Pasha Complex, and built between 1539 and 1551 behalf of Hürrem who was the haseki (favorite concubine) of Sultan Süleyman I.

Haseki Külliye is located in the Haseki region which takes its name from this complex of buildings built in the name of wife of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificient, Hürrem Sultan (Roxalana). Since the primary date of the construction is 1538-1539 the architect of this complex is said to be Sinan. But there is a controversy on this topic since the buildings are not listed in the architect’s works. But the construction date and the fact that these are built in the name of Süleyman’s dearest companion it must be under the chief architect’s control.

This complex has built in different in stages in different time periods. There is a mosque, an imaret (big house for kitchens and related functions) darüşşifa (house for health) madrasah, sibyan mektebi (school for young children, primary school), small cemetery and a wooden house in the complex. The mosque has been changed from the original state and the other ones damaged and rebuilt after the fires and earthquakes. (1918 big İstanbul fire, 1894 earthquake) All buildings except the mosque group together within a wall, but the mosque is left standing alone on the other side of the road.

Built for Haseki Hürrem Sultan, this kulliye is the first important complex to be taken on by Sinan after he was appointed chief architect. It is composed of a mosque, a medrese, a primary school, a hospital and a refectory which was later added to the complex (1550). In situating his buildings at different angles and leaving narrow passages and gaps between them, Sinan chose an organic approach rarely to be seen in his subsequent works, resulting in rich perspective effects.

The single domed mosque was to be later enlarged with an extra module (1612). Together with the neighbouring Bayram Pasha Kulliye (1635), the complex formed an important social centre. General planning of the complex looks somehow disorderly. It is because of the different stages of construction and the neighborhood’s dense population and irregular housing layout.

The third largest religious complex in the city, this area was constructed in a district in Istanbul known as Avrat Pazarı, which came to be called Haseki, the name it bears today. In the early 1550s, a hospital for women and a soup kitchen were added to the complex; the mosque residing there was enlarged in the early 17th century. The Haseki Complex is Sinan’s very first accomplishment.

He built the structures that make up this complex when he was declared master builder of the Royal Ottoman Architectural Guild; they attest to his creativity even at the beginning of his career.  These buildings can be viewed only from the outside as the mosque is the only building in the complex that is still in use and can be visited.  At a later date, the mosque was doubled in size by adding one more domed structure to it.  We can observe traces from early Ottoman architecture in the details of the section that was originally built by Sinan.

The general character and particular features such as the lotus flower column capitals, show that the primary school is also a work of these years. Although an inscription inside the hospital's entrance hall gives its construction date as 945 (1538/39), it cannot be accepted as s, reliable document for dating the building since this inscription plate was placed on the wall in 1911 (329 A.H.) when the hospital was restored.

On the other hand, the construction date of the hospice is known; for its outer gate is inscribed. It was built in 1550 (957 A.H.) by the order of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. In the analysis of this building complex, one observes that while the individual buildings are well designed there is no strong architectural order among them. Except for the hospital and the hospice which have a geometric relationship, the site planning does not exhibit a definite pattern.

This deficiency in site planning cannot be attributed to its architect's lack of talent and experience. Although the great Sinan was still in his architectural prime when he built the Haseki Complex, he had many well designed complexes at his disposal to study. What may have happened is this : the Haseki Complex was not planned as a whole, but was built in several stages.

The first building of the complex is obviously the mosque which was built in 1538/39. It was ordered by Haseki Hürrem (Roxelana) and designed and erected for her by Sinan. Then came the medrese and the primary school which were built the following year across the street from the mosque. In the third stage, the hospital and the hospice were planned. The latter was ordered in 1550 not by Haseki Hürrem but by her husband and curiously, this building is not recorded in any of the lists on Sinan's works.

One must therefore conclude that it was not designed and constructed by Sinan, who was occupied with the planning of the Siileymaniye at that time. The hospital, on the other hand, was ordered by Haseki Hurrem and is definitely one of Sinan's work. It is possible that the hospital was built before the hospice between 1540 and 1550. If this is the case, then the hospice was architectually related to it at a later date.

But the opposite seems more the case. That is to say, the hospital which has a number of awkward architectural elements, was designed in this manner because the architect had to fit his building in a lot that was restricted by streets, the medrese and the hospice on all four sides. It is therefore more likely that the hospital was built between 1550 and 1557, the year of Haseki Hürrem's death. The third largest religious complex in the city, this area was constructed in a district in Istanbul known as Avrat Pazarı, which came to be called Haseki, the name it bears today.

In the early 1550s, a hospital for women and a soup kitchen were added to the complex; the mosque residing there was enlarged in the early 17th century. It is Sinan’s first commission as royal architect, a product of his early years before he became world-famous for numerous structures throughout the city. A rarity during Ottoman times, the entire complex was commissioned by a wife of a Sultan and funded by her own money. The hospital there still serves women to this day.

Mosque
The first mosque on the site was completed in 1539 and had a single dome over a square space. In front was a latecomers’ area with five domes. Ahmet I added a domed section to the east of the structure in 1612 that some believe ruined it. The carved mithrab was filled with stalactites and decorated in a baroque style. The minbar pulpit has been decorated with wooden geometric dovetailing. The mosque and its dependencies were built by Sinan and completed in 1539, making these the earliest known works by him in the city.

The mosque is disappointing: originally it consisted of a small square room covered by a dome on stalactited pendentives, preceded by a rather pretentious porch of five bays which overlapped the building at both ends. It may perhaps have had a certain elegance of proportion and detail. But in 1612 a second and identical room was added on the north, the north wall being removed and its place taken by a great arch supported on two columns. The mihrab was then moved to the middle of the new extended east wall so that it stands squeezed behind one of the columns. The result is distinctly unpleasing.

Madrasah
Madrasah is located on the southeast of the complex facing the mosque on the other side of the road. Foundational record in the door dates the building 1551. Madrasah’s plan consists of a central open courtyard and around it a portico and small study cells each enclosed by a dome. There are 16 cells in the building around the courtyard. Each cell has its own fire stove (a kind of fireplace for heating and cooking) and a small window.

The entrance is from the inner court of the complex from a small garden which is also a playground for the primary school (sibyan mektebi) in the west side. You can see the domes of the madrasah and the imaret in the photos below. Building has a main large classroom on the central axis of the plan. This big classroom has also a dome which is higher and greater in size.

The unique adornments, upon the column’s capitals of the square planned madrasah, was completed between the years 1538 and 1540, cannot be seen anywhere else. The school has a monumental porch, which is entered from the gate on the left of the madrasahs’ courtyard, consists of two parts which colud be used in winter and summer.

Primary School (Sıbyan Mektebi)
The small school’s plan consists of two rectangular spaces one of which is a closed classroom and the other is a semi closed courtyard. Courtyard has one wall with top windows on the road side which is a part of the outer wall that encloses the complex and also separates it from the road. This space is used as a classroom in warm season and a play area for younger children. There is also a small pool in the garden in front of the school which has changed in time but still features some old details and provides a calming atmosphere.

The madrasah and the school form an educational unit within the complex and have a separate door from the road which opens between these two buildings. The canopy covering the entrance is an extended part of the schools roof which forms an impressive umbrella like form (sitting at the top of the stone wall) as a finishing detail. School’s walls are consist of both stone and brick. Red bricks are used in the archs in the north façade.

The most amazing part of this building is the wooden ceiling which consists of magnificent wooden shapes that form a quasi-crystalline structure. Such decagonal and quasi-crystalline tilings can be found in Islamic buildings on ceramic tiles, stone work and wooden ornamentations. But these ceiling was swollen and damaged because the roof was in bad condition. Our task was to draw the architectural project of the Külliye and its buildings in their damaged and present form. While working on the school we realized that the roof was leaking and the wooden tiles were damaged by rain water since some of the metal claddings of the roof were missing.

Worst of all we realized on a Monday thieves stole the rest of the metal claddings and left the roof structure open, just after we delivered our report about this school with its missing roof claddings and presented on Friday to the Department of Foundations which was the authorized body in this project. The thieves were never found. (and I curse them ever since) Unfortunately it took quite a long time before they fixed the ceiling due to inefficient bureaucracy and the ceiling got damaged some more.

Cure House (Darüşşifa)
This health house is the most extraordinary building within the complex with its original plan and form. From a beautiful portal in the north one can enter a courtyard with an octagonal plan. The spaces surrounding the courtyard have domes which planned as spatial and flexible areas. These areas serve as treatment stations. Some of the small rooms are thought to be designed for medicine preparations and larger ones as patient dorms.

At this medical facility all kinds of illnesses were to be treated. Two physicians, two surgeons, two ophthalmologists, two pharmacists, two pharmacy assistants, one secretary, one steward, one cook, one cellar master, four patient attendants, two servants, two laundrymen and other personnel for a total of 28 employees. Two days a week medicine was dispensed free of charge to those who wanted it from outside the hospital. The physicians didn’t just have to be good doctors; they had also to be always smiling, perceptive and knowledgeable, among other attributes specified in the foundation deed.

The hospital is behind the medrese, entered from the street behind the külliye to the north. It is a building of most unusual form: the court is octagonal but without a columned portico. The two large corner rooms at the back, whose great domes have stalactited pendentives coming far down the walls, originally opened to the courtyard through huge arches, now glassed-in; with these open rooms or eyvans all the other wards and chambers of the hospital communicated.

The structure, behind the madrasah, measures 27 x 34.8 meters and serves as hospital. The domes of the cut stone hospital, which was built in 1550, are bricks. The hospital, with two iwans and having 22 rooms, was converted into a centre in 1848 especially where women in need of nursing were cured. A part of the hospital was arranged as a jail for women in 1869.

The assignment of a doctor to the hospital in 1871 prevented inconvenience into the medical services. The hospital, whose patient numbers continually increased, was expanded a bit more by inclusion of the Moralı Ali Bey Mansion in 1882. When the buildings, which were restored in 1911, were damaged in the fire of 1918, the hospital was closed for some time. The hospital, restored between in years 1946 and 1948, then resumed its service.

Kitchen (İmaret)
This building is not listed in the Sinan’s works but considered to be under his supervision. Kitchen spaces are planned with a central courtyard like other buildings with portico and domed roofs. The impressive part of the building is the roof with its funnels on top of the domes that provide an original form for the entire complex. From the north façade these domes and the funnels composition form a stunning silhouette.

Külliye has also a wooden house on the south façade which is supposed to be built for the imam of the mosque. House is also in poor condition and waiting to be renovated with the whole complex. The imaret, built of cut and rubble stone, is dated to 1540, and is encircled a porched courtyard. According to its inscription, the plain fountain of the imaret to the left of the gate on the street was built in 1766.

The imaret, which was still in use up until the early 1970s, is beyond the mektep, entered through a monumental portal which leads to an alleyway. At the end of this, one enters the long rectangular courtyard of the imaret, shaded with trees. Vast kitchens with large domes and enormous chimneys (better seen from inside at the back) line three sides of the courtyard.

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ZAL MAHMUT PASHA MOSQUE COMPLEX

Eyüp - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°02'42.0"N 28°56'09.0"E / 41.045000, 28.935833



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The Zal Mahmud Paşa Complex was built between Zal Paşa Street and Defterdar Street in the Eyüp district. Zal Mahmud, the Vizier of Suleiman the Magnificient and his wife Şah Sultan, a daughter of Sultan Selim II, had it built by Sinan the Architecture (the grand master of Ottoman architecture). The complex is composed of a madrasa, a fountain, and the tombs of  the builders of the complex. Although the construction date is unknown, the complex is estimated to have been built in 1577.

The Zal Mahmud complex was built by the architect Sinan and commissioned by Shah Sultan, daughter of Sultan Selim II (1566-1574), and her husband, the Ottoman vizier Zal Mahmud Pasha (both d. 1580). Due to deteriorated inscriptions and inconsistent documentation, which provide dates ranging from 1551 and 1579, the exact construction date cannot be pinpointed.

Standing on an inclined site in Eyüp between two avenues that run along its east and west sides, the complex can be entered via portals on either side. It consists of the mosque and the tomb on the south side, and the upper and lower madrasas on the north side of the site. The Complex includes a mosque, a tomb, and two madrasas built at two different levels. The mosque and a room of the madrasa, which was later converted into a masjid, are open to the public.

The central area of the mosque, with a dome of 12.40 m, is flanked by side galleries. The porch, with its flat ceiling enclosing the middle of the mosque, is supported by four columns. The decorative niche conforms with the classical Ottoman architectural tradition. The inner decoration of the mosque, which underwent renovation between 1955 and 1963, was renewed in the classical style.

On the side walls are an arrangement of two distichous window rows at close intervals, which is an unseen style in the other works of Sinan the architecture. The walls of the mosque composed of stone and brick. Additionally, the fountain of the complex is made of cut stones set in a rectangular frame.

The design scheme of the complex is unique and unlike any others designed by Sinan. The tall bearing walls, with numerous window openings, evoke a feeling of magnificence even from Sütlüce, across the Golden Horn.

Beneath the mosque on the lower side is a basement floor that supports the mosque with two elephant pillars and rows of smaller pillars. This area opens onto a courtyard ringed by one of the medreses, referred to as the lower medrese. The upper medrese, which is on the same level as the mosque portico, forms a delightful courtyard with a fountain. The medrese itself has 13 cells of varying sizes and shapes, a classroom and a fountain. The lower medrese is L-shaped with 11 cells and a classroom. Both medreses have porticos running in front of them.

In the Zal Mahmut Pasa complex, Sinan shifted from the graded pyramidal structures of his earlier mosques, building a large, pierced rectangular box with a single dome that is twelve and a half meters in diameter. On the exterior, the effect of the dome diminishes next to the height and monolithic character of the exterior walls. The five-bay portico attached to the north of the prayer hall attempts to balance the massing.

The center bay of the portico, distinguished from the other (domed) four by its mirror vault, highlights the portal of the mosque. The portal features a wooden door topped with muqarnas carvings. Entering through the portal to the north of the prayer hall, one sees four small columns carrying the upper gallery, which block the view of the dome.

The unexpected experience of limited vision continues, as the central space is dimly lit in comparison to the side galleries. Further into the prayer hall, the dome above the central space rests on large pendentives over four colossal piers, or "elephant feet". The arches are plainly visible, a departure from Sinan's pyramidal mosques, where the arches are embedded in the supporting semi-domes.

Overall, the mosque is a relatively simple composite structure of brick and stone. As it represents a departure from Sinan's other mosques and his developmental trajectory, it may have been one of his experimental works. Alternatively, it could have been designed by another architect. With the revelation of the arches, the side galleries become independent structures. They hold many windows, some reaching up to the level of their flat roofs, and are better-lit than the central space.

On the qibla wall, the pentagonal mihrab niche features two small columns on its sides and a pencil-work frame. On the exterior, the single-balcony minaret stands at the northwestern corner of the mosque and is entered from the western bay of the portico. On its east elevation, the mosque has a vaulted basement floor that opens to the lower courtyard with rows of arched columns. Two massive piers, exposed on the south elevation, soften its flatness.

The irregularities in the plan continue in the tectonics of the complex; one finds unequal arch lengths, columns that do not match, and unrelated masonry patterns. These mixtures provide no clear statements concerning the architect's intentions or the possible stages of construction and renovation.

The mosque is large but not gigantic. Its dome is a mere 12.5 meters (slightly over 41 feet) in diameter. Unlike earlier, Sinan-designed mosques, it is set on a rectangular box rather than on half domes, and the box which rests on huge “elephant” piers has openings to provide light to the interior.

The exterior portico has five bays with the central one containing the opening to the interior of the mosque. The mosque is entered through a wooden door. The galleries within the mosque also contain windows so the overall effect is one of light and spaciousness. It has only one minaret, made entirely of one piece of stone, with a single balcony for the muezzin.

The complex suffered damage several times, beginning in the seventeenth century. Deserted in 1808, it was restored in 1825 and was preserved until the 1894 earthquake, during which its minaret, along with other parts of the complex, was demolished. Following the replacement of the minaret, the mosque was again abandoned in 1930. The interior ornament was restored during the 1955-1963 renovations. 1964 is the last documented date of a restoration at the complex.

Madrasa

The madrasa, which also departs from a conventional, symmetrical typology in favor of an organic plan development, is located on the north end of the site, forming two adjacent clusters on two levels. Connected to the northeast corner of the mosque by a staircase, the two clusters were developed independently. Therefore, they are usually referred as two separate madrasas, the "upper" and the "lower."

The U-shaped plan of the upper madrasa creates a fountain courtyard within the portico of the mosque. It consists of thirteen cells of different types and sizes, and a larger classroom. The cells on the western wing follow a rectilinear typology along the courtyard side. On the other side, their shape becomes trapezoidal, conforming to the shifting boundary of the site. These cells have mirror vaults; the eastern wing's five sequential cells are all topped with domes.

The classroom is located north of the upper madrasa, and is shifted from the central axis. On its east is a mirror-vaulted rectangular room; three domed cells and a trapezoidal cell are found on its west. A portico runs along the northern and eastern edges; the western wing is left blank, drawing focus to the fountain in the courtyard.

The lower madrasa is L-shaped in plan, with seven identical domed cells on its north, and four typologically different cells and a classroom on its east. All are fronted with a portico. The first of the seven cells attached to the upper madrasa shift to the north, doubling the depth of the portico bay, which results in an elongated mirror vault. The other six bays of the portico have identical domes, whereas the domes on the east vary in size. A fountain is located at the southeastern corner of the madrasa, next to the eastern portal of the complex.

Tomb
The Tomb is at the lower level of the Complex which was designed in two levels on a sloping site. The interior decorations of the Tomb were repaired during the 1960 restoration. It is closed to visitors, but it is possible to view the Tomb through the window openings.

Zal Mahmut and his wife Shah Sultan are buried in the complex’s tomb which is covered by an octagonal dome ceiling with a diameter of 5.10 m.  Devoted to one another with great love, the couple fell ill simultaneously and died within a short interval of time in 1577. Shah Sultan, the daughter of Sultan Selim II, chose to be buried with her husband in this tomb that they had built together instead of the royal Selim II Tomb at Hagia Sophia with her sisters.

Zal Mahmut Paşa Tomb is a fragment of an important Ottoman complex, built by Architect Sinan during the period of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificant. It takes place on the eastern side of the complex. This structure is on the courtyard of the lower madrasa and consists of Zal Mahmut's (vizier during Sultan Süleyman the Magnificant and Sultan Selim II) and Shah Sultan's (daughter of Sultan Selim II) graves.

The tomb is remarkable with its plan which is octagonal on extrior and rectangular inside. Zal Mahmut Paşa Tomb, the interior may take the shape of four cross-shaped iwans, with the exterior not corresponding. The domed central space is flanked by four rectangular spaces surmounted by mirror vaults. There is also antoher grave within the structure, but the owner of the grave is unknown.

The Zal Mahmut Paşa Tomb is today a well preserve structure, taking place on the courtyard of the lower madrasa; however it is closed to visitors; inside is also visible from outside. Actually, the tomb was undergone some restoration progress during 1960's; especially adornments have been restored during this progress.

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AYAZMA MOSQUE

Şemsipaşa, Üsküdar - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°01'22.0"N 29°00'31.0"E / 41.022778, 29.008611



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It is located in Üsküdar, between Salacak and Şemsipaşa on a hill before Marmara overlooking Kızkulesi. Sultan Mustafa III (1717-1774) had the Ayazma Mosque, which rises between the Salacak and Şemsipaşa districts of Üsküdar, built by the architect, Mehmed Tahir Ağa, in 1761. In addition, the mosque, which features predominately western style architectural aspects, was built in memory of his mother Mihrişah Emine Hatun and his elder brother Şehzade Süleyman.

It is understood from certain sources that the name of the mosque comes from the Ayazma Palace which had once been located on the site. The mosque was named after a water spring that was sacred among the ancient Greeks; this spring is located to the left of the street. The mosque is part of a large complex that consists of a school for children, baths, and a clock room. The mosque used to be in the square of the Ayazma Palace, but the palace is no longer standing.

If one leaves the mosque precinct by the back gate and follows the winding street outside, keeping firmly to the right, one comes before long to an imposing baroque mosque known as Ayazma Camii. It is one of the more successful of the baroque mosques, especially on the exterior. A handsome entrance portal opens onto a courtyard from which a pretty flight of semicircular steps leads up to the mosque porch.

On the left is a large cistern and beyond an elaborate two-storeyed colonnade gives access to the imperial loge. The upper structure is also diversified with little domes and turrets, and many windows give light to the interior. The interior, as generally in baroque mosques, is less successful, though the grey marble gallery along the entrance wall, supported by slender columns, is effective.

The Ayazma Mosque has been renovated several times during its lifetime. A new minaret has been built twice on the site of the demolished minaret. The muvakkitkane (time-keeping room) and the bath, which was built to generate income for the mosque, as well as many stores of the mosque have not reached the present day. According to the archival document, Ayazma Palace, in the place of Ayazma Mosque, was restored in 1740s and allocated to ambassador of Iran.

Birdhouses are built into the walls on each side of the doors. There is a sundial in the corner of the right façade. The pulpit of this mosque is a masterpiece of stonework. Dozens of ostrich eggs were hung on the circular oil lamp above in order to prevent the formation of cobwebs. There is no clear reason as to why the eggs have been removed today. In the courtyard there is a very large pool that was intended to be used in case of fire.

The mosque, which is placed in the middle of a wide field, is located on a hillside overlooking Istanbul. It is said that the architect, Mehmed Tahir Ağa, put 8,750 eggs, 625 okka of honey (an okka is the old Turkish weight measure, equalling 1,285 gr.) and quicksilver worth 1,080 kuruş (a kuruş is one hunderdth of the old Turkish pound) into the mixture he used as cement.

In addition to Western architectural elements, classical designs have added a different complexion to the structure. The main space of the building is built on a rectangular plan and is covered by a dome resting on four elephant legs. The Hünkar Köşk (Royal residence) of the building, built next to the mosque, is situated on the left hand side of the main site. A variety of colourful stones are used to decorate the sermon area, the niche, and the pulpit of the mosque.

Decorations with gold latten are used in the royal residence and are the creation of highly skilled craftsmanship. Furthermore, the pulpit, composed of colourful, engraved marble stones, as well as the niche, made of porphyry stones, are further reflections of the skilled workmanship of the building. The scripts on the portal gate belong to the calligrapher, Seyyid Abdullah, and scripts on the plaster windows belong to calligrapher, Seyyid Mustafa.

The structure is understood to have been dated to 1760 - 1761 from the inscriptions upon the door. According to the expense book, held very carefuly, 506.095 piasters 49 coins were spent for the mosque. The mosque inscription was inscribed with talik calligraphy by Sheikh ul-islam and Calligrapher Veliyüddin Efendi. The tiles on the wall of royal box are Italian.

The altar is made of white porphyry and the carved pulpit is made of colored marble. Calligraphies in the mosque belong to Seyyid Abdullah and calligrapher Seyyid Mustafa. Bird’s nests on the outer walls of the mosque and the sundial on the right wall are noteworthy. The central dome with 20 windows is supported by four elephant feet. The mosque has 86 windows in total.

There is a fountain located on one corner of the wall surrounding the courtyard of the Ayazma Mosque that was built during the same year with the mosque. The inscription written on the fountain belongs to the poet, Zihni.There are graves of several notable individuals of the Ottoman Palace in the mosque’s graveyard. The big marble fountain, in the corner of the wall surrounding the large courtyard, is understood from the inscription of Poet Zihni that it was built along with the mosque in 1761.

When Sultan Mahmud II abolished the Janissaries in 1826, he removed every symbol that could act as a reminder of them, including their tombstones. The only two tombs of Janissaries that have survived until today are in the graveyard of this mosque.

Leaving by the south gate and following the street to the east, one comes to a wider street, Doğancılar Caddesi, with two pretty baroque çeşmes at the intersection; turning right one finds at the end of this street a severely plain türbe built by Sinan for Hacı Mehmet Paşa, who died in 1559. It stands on an octagonal terrace bristling with tombstones and overshadowed by a dying terebinth tree.

It is one of the mosques under influence of European artistic style. It was commissioned by Sultan Mustafa his mother Mihrişah Emine Sultan. One can take the stairs to go up to the mosque from a three-gate courtyard. The minaret has single balcony. Central dome which has 20 windows is situated on four elephant legs. The floor is paved with marble. It has a total of 86 windows.

The mosque is part of a large complex that consists of a school for children, baths, and a clock room. There is a very beautiful fountain in the left corner. The mosque used to be in the square of the Ayazma Palace, but the palace is no longer standing. Birdhouses are built into the walls on each side of the doors. There is a sundial in the corner of the right façade. The pulpit of this mosque is a masterpiece of stonework.

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PİYALE PAŞA (TERSANE) MOSQUE COMPLEX

Kasımpaşa, Beyoğlu - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°02'41.0"N 28°57'57.0"E / 41.044722, 28.965833



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The Piyale Pasha Mosque also known as the Tersane Camii (literally: Arsenal Mosque), is an Ottoman mosque located in the Kasımpaşa neighborhood of Beyoğlu district in Istanbul, Turkey. The complex was constructed on the site of a former dockyard.

Vizier and Grand Admiral Mehmet Piyale Pasa (1553-1577), who was married to Gevherhan Sultan, daughter of Sultan Selim II  (1524-1574), was originally Croatian and his father was a shoemaker. A six domed, Piyale Pasha (Shipyard) Mosque was built for Admiral Piyale Pasha in 1573 by Ottoman imperial architect Mimar Sinan. The mosque was built between 1565 and 1573. In 1890, some buildings of the mosque and the foundation were renewed.

Piyale Paşa Mosque was built by Architect Sinan in the Kasımpaşa district of Beyoglu county in 1573. The complex is composed of a mosque, a Sıbyan Mektebi (Ottoman elementary - primary school), a bath, a fountain, a tekke (dervish lodge), a tomb, and an arasta (Ottoman bazaar). Today, only the mosque and the tomb have survived to the present day.

The six domes, each approximately nine meters in diameter, are carried by two tapered granite piers in the center of the prayer hall. They rest on the qibla and along the sides of the entrance walls. Pendentives enable the transition from the round dome to the rectilinear walls. The use of these piers in the central space could have resulted in a loss of spatial integrity, but the slenderness of the piers balances their placement. This same slenderness appears in the slim walls, which are buttressed along the qibla. The tapering buttresses along the qibla wall support the lateral thrust of the domes.

Unlike other mosques designed by Sinan that have a large central dome, the Piyale Pasha Mosque is constructed with six identical domes, arranged as two rows of three, each with a diameter of about 9 m (30 ft). The domes are supported in the center of the prayer hall by a pair of slender granite pillars. The minaret is placed in the centre of the anti-qibla wall. It was rebuilt in the middle of the 19th century.

However, the wall thickness increases dramatically opposite the mihrab, in the middle of the entrance wall where the minaret stands. The minaret is placed in the centre of the anti-qibla wall. The window gaps of the mosque are designed as a tri-serial which have a great impact on the skylight of the mosque. The stained-glass in the windows of the qibla wall is not original.

The mosque was built on an area measuring 55 x 45 m. Several the walls of the complex are constructed from cut stones, whereas other parts are built from rubble stones. The ceiling of the harim (sanctum sanctorum) of the mosque, spanning an area of 30.50 x 19.70 m, is covered by 6 domes, each of a diameter of 9 meters. Both the dome composing the ceiling structure and the arched roof are made of brick. The weight of the dome, supported by pendentives, is distributed between two granite columns and piers.

This same slenderness appears in the slim walls, which are buttressed along the qibla. The tapering buttresses along the qibla wall support the lateral thrust of the domes. However, the wall thickness increases dramatically opposite the mihrab, in the middle of the entrance wall where the minaret stands.

This platform is supported by pointed arches that rest on six slender columns. The sequential layout of the muezzin's platform and the minaret strengthens the emphasis on the qibla axis. However, the exterior expression is in turn weakened by the unusual location of the minaret and unresolved issues of proportion. The northeastern and northwestern corners of the entrance wall are articulated with rectangular stair shafts which lead to the side platforms as well as the upper porticos.

Another exceptional aspect of the Piyale Pasa Mosque is the double-story porticos, which consist of cross vaults carried by rectangular columns at the base with galleries above. Ninety marble columns carried the gallery roof; today, most of these columns, along with the roof, have disappeared. The mosque's fenestration pattern of four rows of different aperture sizes is also unlike that present in Sinan's other works.

The use of granite columns instead of elephant feet pillars, which bears the central dome similar to earlier mosques, is a different example in itself. The columns in the courtyard must belong to a madrasah and a lodge are no longer. On the tile ribbon, inside the mosque, Sura of Fatiha is written.

The unusual design approach found in this mosques prompts two different conclusions: it may one of Sinan's more experimental designs, or it could have been designed by another architect, possibly working under Sinan's supervision. As the mosque is not mentioned in memoir's of Sinan's work, evidence points to the latter.

Unlike Sinan's other mosques, where the spatial and structural composition develop around a single central dome, the Piyale Pasa Mosque is a six-domed structure in which the identical domes are arranged in two rows of three. The prayer hall measures about thirty and a half meters by twenty meters, with additional bays on both ends of the domed bays.

The unusual design approach found in this mosques prompts two different conclusions: it may one of Sinan's more experimental designs, or it could have been designed by another architect, possibly working under Sinan's supervision. As the mosque is not mentioned in memoir's of Sinan's work, evidence points to the latter.

The two entrances of the mosque are placed on either side of the minaret, and both entrances have two windows on their sides. This symmetrical approach works well on both the exterior and the interior, given the three-bay structure of the mosque, which embodies a strong middle axis and two identical wings. The muezzin's platform, located just behind the minaret wall, has a better placement than is usually found in single-domed structures.

This platform is supported by pointed arches that rest on six slender columns. The sequential layout of the muezzin's platform and the minaret strengthens the emphasis on the qibla axis. However, the exterior expression is in turn weakened by the unusual location of the minaret and unresolved issues of proportion.

The northeastern and northwestern corners of the entrance wall are articulated with rectangular stair shafts which lead to the side platforms as well as the upper porticos. Another exceptional aspect of the Piyale Pasa Mosque is the double-story porticos, which consist of cross vaults carried by rectangular columns at the base with galleries above. Ninety marble columns carried the gallery roof; today, most of these columns, along with the roof, have disappeared.

The niche of the mosque overlaid Iznik tiles with a plant motif and a ceramic ring with a Qur’anic verse on an arc-shape frame which supports the dome adorning the architectural aesthetics of the mosque. The script of the ceramic ring was written by calligrapher Çerkez Hasan Çelebi. Despite the decoration of the mihrab (niche), the pulpit of the mosque is highly ordinary.

A number of identical Iznik tiled lunette panels that are now on display in different museums including the Musée du Louvre in Paris, the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian in Lisbon and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London are believed to have been removed from the Piyale Pasha Mosque in the 19th century. The panels would have been placed above the lower row of windows. Two tiles from another lunette panel and a pair of tiles that probably came from the mihrab were sold at auction by Christie's in 2004.

The mosque's fenestration pattern of four rows of different aperture sizes is also unlike that present in Sinan's other works. The walls of the mosque are made of cut stone and rough stone, while the domes and vaults are brick. The minbar is marble. Remarkable blue Iznik tiles with white inscriptions, crafted by Cerkez Hasan Çelebi, encircle the prayer hall between the second and third rows of windows. The inscription under the copper-covered crown of the minaret dates the restoration of the minaret to the end of the eighteen century.

An inscription of the Fatiha verse of the Koran is to be found on the band of tiles that circles the interior. Around three walls of the interior are a row of Iznik tiles with inscriptions in a white thuluth script on a cobalt-blue background. The interior walls are now whitewashed but they were originally decorated.

The minaret of the mosque is made of cut limestone and only has a single sherefe (minaret balcony) which peculiarly rises from the level of the niche. Alluding to the marine identity of the Grand Admiral Piyale Pasha, the minaret reminds one of a mast, rising above the deck of a ship. Despite some stolen pieces, the mihrap inside has retained its magnificence.

It was rebuilt in the middle of the 19th century. After a recent restoration project which was completed in 2007, the mosque has been opened to public again.

Tomb
Piyale Pasha died on 21 January 1578 and is buried at the Piyale Pasha Mosque in Istanbul which he had built in his final years. In the plain tomb, which is constructed on an octagonal plan in which the builder of the complex, Piyale Paşa, is burried, there are a total of 13 different graves, including three sarcophaguses and ten marble graves in the tomb. The domed octagonal mausoleum to the northwest of the mosque contains the tomb of Piyale Pasha together with those of his sons and daughters.

In the octagonal tomb built with küfeki stone, lie the marble sarcophagi of Piyale Pasha and his family. The domed octagonal mausoleum to the northwest of the mosque contains the tomb of Piyale Pasha together with those of his sons and daughters. Altogether there are thirteen sarcophagi. His wife, Gevherhan Sultan (daughter of Sultan Selim II), remarried and is entombed in Sultan Selim II's mausoleum next to Hagia Sophia.

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ERTUĞRUL TEKKE MOSQUE

Yıldız, Beşiktaş, İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°02'44.0"N 29°00'30.0"E / 41.045556, 29.008333



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The Ertuğrul Tekke Mosque, (Turkish: Ertuğrul Tekke Camii), is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in Yıldız neighbourhood, Serencebey rise of Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey. A late Ottoman period mosque, it is constructed as a külliye consisting of a tekke, guest house, türbe, fountain, and library in addition to the mosque.

The construction of the mosque and the külliye complex is commissioned by Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II, and finished in 1887. It is dedicated to the founder of the Medeni branch of Shadhili (Turkish: Şaziliye) tariqa, a Tunisian sufi, Sheikh Hamza Zafir. The mosque is named after Ertuğrul Gazi, the father of the founder of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Osman I as a commendation to him.

The name also comes from the Ertuğrul regiment, a royal palace guard regiment who is compromised of Turks from the Domaniç region. Initially the complex only consisted of the mosque, tekke, and the guesthouse.

After the death of Sheikh Hamza Zafir in 1903, his türbe is constructed next to the mosque by the Italian architect Raimondo D'Aronco between 1905 and 1906. The library and the fountain are also added in this expansion. After the passing of Sheikh Hamza Zafir, his two brothers Muhammed Zafir Efendi and Beşir Zafir Efendi became the Sheikhs of the tekke. They are also buried in the türbe next to their elder brother.

The complex is mainly built as a guesthouse to various sheikhs and Islamic scholars that visits Istanbul from the Islamic world in an effort to strengthen the power of the position of the Caliphate in the Islamic world.

After the abolition of tekke's in 1925, the mosque and tekke are closed and the two guesthouse buildings are used as a primary school, Şair Nedim Primary School. Due to extensive wear over the years, all the buildings are closed in 1960. The mosque has been restored between 1969 and 1973 by the General Directorate for Foundations of the Republic of Turkey and it is opened to public in 1973.

Recently, all the buildings except the guesthouses have undergone through another restoration process. The restoration is started in 2008 and lasted for two years. The mosque and türbe opened to the public on 21 May 2010 by President Abdullah Gül. As of 2010, both the guesthouses are currently in a ruined state and are not used.

The mosque and the guesthouses are wooden constructions and represents the classical architecture of the late Ottoman period. The tomb, library, and the fountain are built in the Art Nouveau style.

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