Beyazit Camii

Lonely Planet review

Dating from 1501 to 1506, this was the second imperial mosque to be built in the city after Mehmet the Conqueror's Fatih Camii, and was the prototype for other imperial mosques. In effect, it is the link between Aya Sofya, which obviously inspired its design, and the great mosques such as Süleymaniye, which are realisations of Aya Sofya's design fully adapted to Muslim worship.

Of particular note is the mosque's exceptional use of fine stone: marble, porphyry, verd antique and rare granite. The mihrab is simple, except for the rich stone columns framing it, and the courtyard, with its 24 small domes and central fountain, is particularly pretty.

Some of the other buildings of Beyazıt's külliye (mosque complex) have been well utilised. The soup kitchen has been turned into a library, while the medrese is now the Museum of Turkish Calligraphic Art . Unfortunately the once-splendid hamam is still waiting to be restored. Beyazıt's türbe is behind the mosque.