Architecture sights in Istanbul
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Aya Sofya
Called Hagia Sofia in Greek, Sancta Sophia in Latin and the Church of the Divine Wisdom in English, İstanbul's most famous monument has long and fascinating history. Built by Emperor Justinian, it was constructed on the site of Byzantium's acropolis, which had also been the site of two earlier Aya Sofyas.
The first of these was a basilica with a timber roof completed in 360 by Constantine's son and successor, Constantinius, and was burned down in a riot in 404; and the second was a building commissioned by Theodosius II in 415 and destroyed in the Nika riots of 532. Justinian's church, which dwarfed all other buildings in the city, was completed in 537 and reigned as the…
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Hippodrome
The Hippodrome (At Meydanı) was the centre of Byzantium’s life for 1000 years and of Ottoman life for another 400 years. In its heyday, the arena consisted of two levels of galleries, a central spine, starting boxes and the semicircular southern end known as the Sphendone, parts of which still stand to the south of the Hippodrome. The level of galleries that once topped this stone structure was damaged during the Fourth Crusade and ended up being totally dismantled in the Ottoman period – many of the original columns were used in construction of the Süleymaniye Mosque.
The Hippodrome has been the scene of countless political dramas during the long life of the city. …
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Eyüp Sultan Mosque & Tomb
This mosque complex occupies what is reputedly the burial place of Ayoub al-Ansari (Eyüp Ensari in Turkish), a friend of the Prophet’s and a revered member of Islam’s early leadership. Eyüp fell in battle outside the walls of Constantinople while carrying the banner of Islam during the Arab assault and siege of the city from 674 to 678. He was buried outside the walls and, ironically, his tomb later came to be venerated by the Byzantine inhabitants of the city. When Mehmet the Conqueror besieged Constantinople in 1453, he built a grander and more fitting tomb. The mosque that he built on the site became the place where the Ottoman princes came for the Turkish equivalent o…
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Fatih Mosque
The Fatih was the first great imperial mosque built in İstanbul following the Conquest. For its location Mehmet the Conqueror chose the hilltop site of the ruined Church of the Apostles, burial place of Constantine and other Byzantine emperors. The mosque complex, finished in 1470, was enormous; set in extensive grounds, it included in its külliye 15 charitable establishments such as religious schools, a hospice for travellers and a caravanserai. Unfortunately, the mosque you see today is not the one Mehmet built. The original stood for nearly 300 years before toppling in an earthquake in 1766. Though rebuilt, it was destroyed by fire in 1782. The present mosque dates f…
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Palace of Constantine Porphyrogenituschi
Sacred buildings often endure because they continue to be used, even though they may be converted for use in another religion. Put simply, there’s something a bit dodgy about razing a place of worship, and not too many people want to do it. No such squeamishness surrounds secular buildings such as palaces, though, and history shows that these are often torn down and rebuilt to cater to the tastes and needs of different generations. İstanbul is no different – the Byzantine palaces that once crowded Sultanahmet Sq are all gone, and so is most of the Great Palace of Blachernae, which was also in this neighbourhood. Only the Tekfur Sarayı remains. Though the building is only …
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Sokollu Mehmet Paşa Mosque
Sinan designed this mosque in 1571, at the height of his architectural career. Though named after the grand vizier of the time, it was really sponsored by his wife Esmahan, daughter of Sultan Selim II. Besides its architectural harmony, typical of Sinan’s greatest works, the mosque is unusual because the medrese is not a separate building but actually part of the mosque structure, built around the forecourt. If the mosque isn’t open, wait for the guardian to appear; he may offer photos for sale and will certainly appreciate a tip. When you enter, notice the harmonious form, the coloured marble and the spectacular İznik tiles – some of the best ever made. The stained gla…
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Church of Theotokos Pammakaristos
Built between 1292 and 1294, the Church of the Theotokos Pammakaristos, or Church of the all-praised Mother of God, briefly served as the headquarters of the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarch (1455–1587). Not long after the Conquest, Mehmet the Conqueror visited here to discuss theological questions with Patriarch Gennadios. They talked in the southern side chapel known as the parecclesion, which was built to a cross-shaped plan and has a small dome, a gallery and a narthex. Though not as splendid as those in the nearby Chora Church, the paracclesion’s Byzantine-era mosaics have been beautifully restored and are well worth seeing, particularly the Pantocrator and 12 Prophet…
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Gül Mosque
Rarely visited by anyone other than local worshippers, this cross-domed church building dates from the 11th century. Originally known as Church of St Theodosia, it is now called the Gül (Rose) Mosque. Legend has it that on Theodosia’s saint day (29 May) preceding the Conquest, worshippers filled the church with rose petals in her honour and prayed that the Ottomans wouldn’t be successful in breaching the city’s walls. Their prayers went unanswered, but when soldiers of Mehmet’s army entered they saw the petals and renamed the building Gül Mosque. In fact, the building was used as a shipyard warehouse after the Conquest and wasn’t converted into a mosque until the reign of…
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Molla Zeyrek Mosque
This mosque complex was originally an important Byzantine sanctuary comprising a monastery (church, library and hospital), second church and chapel joining the two churches. Empress Eirene had the monastery built between 1118 and 1124 (she features in a mosaic at Aya Sofya with her husband Emperor John II Comnenus) and her husband built the second church and chapel on the site after her death; the mosque occupies the church that Eirene built. The complex is the second-largest still-standing church built by the Byzantines (after Aya Sofya) and was until recently included on the World Monument Fund’s List of the world’s 100 most endangered cultural heritage sites – it’s now…
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Şemsi Paşa Mosque
This charming mosque complex right on the waterfront was designed by Sinan and built in 1580 for grand vizier, Şemsi Ahmet Paşa. It is modest in size and decoration, reflecting the fact that its benefactor (whose tomb has an opening into the mosque) only occupied the position of grand vizier for a couple of months under Süleyman the Magnificent. When this book went to press, the mosque and its adjoining medrese were closed for restoration. Next to the mosque you’ll find the run-down Şemsi Paşa Çay Bahçesi, a decent place to recover from a hectic schedule of Üsküdar mosque viewing if the weather is fine. Behind it, there’s always a posse of fishermen trying their …
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Sultan Selim Mosque
By all accounts the sultan to whom this mosque was dedicated (Süleyman the Magnificent’s father, Selim I, known as ‘the Grim’) was a nasty piece of work. He is famous for having his father poisoned and for killing two of his brothers, six of his nephews and three of his own sons. Odd, then, that his mosque is one of the most loved in the city. The reason becomes clear when a visit reveals the mosque’s position on a lawned terrace with spectacular views of the Golden Horn – picnic spots don’t come much better than this. The building itself, constructed in 1522, was undergoing a major renovation when this book was going to print. Inside, its tilework and painted woodwork pr…
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Aqueduct of Valens
Rising majestically over the traffic on busy Atatürk Bulvarı, this limestone aqueduct is one of the city’s most distinctive landmarks. Commissioned by the Emperor Valens and completed in AD 378, it was part of an elaborate system sourcing water from the north of the city and linking more than 250km of water channels, some 30 bridges and over 100 cisterns within the city walls, making it one of the greatest hydraulic engineering achievements of ancient times. The aqueduct linked the third and fourth hills and carried water to a cistern at Beyazıt Sq before finally ending up at the Great Byzantine Palace. After the Conquest it supplied the Eski (Old) and Topkapı Palace…
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Nuruosmaniye Mosque
Facing Nuruosmaniye Kapısı, one of several doorways into the Grand Bazaar, this mosque was built in Ottoman baroque style between 1748 and 1755. Construction was started by Mahmut I and finished by his successor Osman III. Though it was meant to exhibit the sultans’ ‘modern’ taste, the baroque building has very strong echoes of Aya Sofya, specifically the broad, lofty dome, colonnaded mezzanine galleries, windows topped with Roman arches and the broad band of calligraphy around the interior. Despite its prominent position on the busy pedestrian route from Cağaloğlu Sq and Nuruosmaniye Caddesi to the bazaar, it is surprisingly peaceful and contemplative inside.
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Şehzade Mehmet Mosque
Süleyman the Magnificent built this mosque between 1543 and 1548 as a memorial to his son, Mehmet, who died of smallpox in 1543 at the age of 22. It was the first important mosque to be designed by Mimar Sinan. Although not one of his best works, it has two beautiful minarets and attractive exterior decoration. Among the many important people buried in tile-encrusted tombs here are Prince Mehmet, his brothers and sisters, and Süleyman’s grand viziers, Rüstem Paşa and İbrahim Paşa. After you’ve visited the mosque, consider stopping for a tea or lunch at Şehzade Mehmed Sofrası, housed in one of the külliye buildings behind the mosque.
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Ortaköy Mosque
Right on the water’s edge, this mosque is the work of Nikoğos Balyan, one of the architects of Dolmabahçe Palace. It was built for Sultan Abdül Mecit I between 1853 and 1855. With the modern Bosphorus Bridge now looming behind it, the mosque provides a fabulous photo opportunity for those wanting to illustrate İstanbul’s ‘old meets new’ character. Within the mosque hang several masterful examples of Arabic calligraphy executed by the sultan, who was an accomplished calligrapher. The mosque fronts onto Ortaköy Sq, the hub of this former fishing village and home to a pretty fountain and waterfront cafes.
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Yeni Valide Mosque
Unusual because of the striking ‘birdcage’ tomb in its overgrown garden, the Yeni Valide Mosque was built by Sultan Ahmet III between 1708 and 1710 for his mother, Gülnuş Emetullah. After being captured as a child on Crete and brought to Topkapı, Gülnuş became the favourite concubine of Mehmet IV, and bore him two sons who would become sultan: Mustafa II and his younger brother, Ahmet. Built late in the period of classical Ottoman architecture, it lacks the architectural distinction of many of the suburb’s other mosques.
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Yıldız Şale
At the top of a hill on Yıldız Park, enclosed by a lofty wall, is the Yıldız Şale, a ‘guesthouse’ built in 1875 and expanded in 1889 and 1898 by Abdül Hamit – both times for the use of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany during state visits. As you enter the palace, a Turkish-speaking guide will take you on a compulsory half-hour tour through the building. The chalet isn’t as plush as Dolmabahçe, but it’s far less crowded (in fact, it’s often empty), so you get more time to feast your eyes on the exhibits.
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Arab Mosque
This mosque is the only surviving place of worship built by the Genoese; it was the largest of the Latin churches in the city. Dating from 1337, it was converted to a mosque by Spanish Moors in the 16th century. It has an impressive stone exterior and wooden ceiling, a simple plan – long hall, tall square belfry-cum-minaret – and ornate flourishes such as the pretty porch and the galleries added in the 20th century.
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Mihrimah Sultan Mosque
Sometimes called the İskele (Dock) Camii, this mosque was built between 1547 and 1548 by Sinan for Süleyman the Magnificent’s daughter. Though imposing on the outside, it’s a bit claustrophobic and dull inside and is need of restoration and a good clean. You’ll find it northeast of the Demokrasi Meydanı. Look out for its ablutions fountain in the traffic island, which is particularly attractive.
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Kamondo Stairs
The curvaceous 18th-century Kamondo Stairs, one of Beyoğlu’s most distinctive pieces of urban design, run south from Kart Çınar Sokak. Around the corner from the stairs you’ll find the Schneidertempel Art Centre. This art gallery, which is housed in a modest former synagogue, hosts shows of Jewish art, usually contemporary and local in origin.
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Çinili Mosque
This little mosque is fairly unprepossessing from the outside, but the interior is a totally different story. The walls are brilliant with İznik faïence, the bequest of Mahpeyker Kösem (1640), wife of Sultan Ahmet I and mother of sultans Murat IV and İbrahim (known as ‘İbrahim the Crazy’). It’s a 10-minute walk to get here from the Atik Valide Mosque.
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Kuleli Military School
Past the small village of Çengelköy on the Asian side is the imposing Kuleli Military School, built in 1860 and immortalised in Irfan Orga's wonderful memoir, Portrait of a Turkish Family.
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