Remarkably, considering that this mosque was built for one of the most powerful women in Ottoman history, you might expect it to be a grand, monumental structure. However, in stark contrast, the Cinili Mosque is small, nestled in a residential area of Üsküdar, far from the tourist routes.
OTTOMAN IMPERIAL MOSQUES
Ottoman sultans or members of the imperial dynasty commissioned these monumental complexes. They were usually constructed as külliye, multi-functional complexes centred on a mosque, surrounded by madrasas (theological schools), kitchens, baths and other charitable institutions serving the community.
The great imperial architect Mimar Sinan, master architect of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 50 years, designed many of the still-standing külliye in Istanbul. He set the standard for mosque and complex architecture.
Imperial mosques were also built in other Ottoman cities, including Bursa, Edirne, Konya, Amasya, Manisa and even Damascus.
CINILI MOSQUE
There are several historic sites, related to Kosem Sultan, that you can visit in Istanbul. One of them is the Çinili Mosque in Üsküdar. I can easily say that, although small, this mosque is possibly one of the most beautiful of all mosques that I saw in Istanbul.
Kosem Sultan commissioned construction of the Çinili Mosque. The mosque was completed and opened for prayers in 1640. Considering Kosem’s status and power, you would expect to see a big rather than this small building in a residential part of Üsküdar.
This mosque is famous for its superb interior decoration with Kütahya tiles. I can tell you that no photo conveys the beauty of the mosque, it’s one of those places that you have to see in its entirety to understand and appreciate the effort invested in its embellishment.
In fact, the beautiful tiles give the name to this mosque. The word çinili means tiled in English language. Thus, this really is the Tiled Mosque. But I’m using the name Cinili Mosque for this post, which is not really correct. A letter ç doesn’t exist in English so, instead of ç, I’m writing c which is an altogether a different letter in the Turkish alphabet. But, as I also need to follow the SEO rules, I have to use a letter that search engines can recognise, otherwise this post would become invisible.
The Büyük Valide Han, the largest historic han near the Grand Bazaar, also built by Kösem Sultan, funded the upkeep and maintenance of this small mosque complex.
CINILI HAMMAM
The Çinili Hammam was also built in 1640 and it is immediately next to the mosque. It’s a functional historic bath house.
IS CINILI MOSQUE WORTH A VISIT?
Definitely yes. But I know that not many tourists would venture deep into a residential part of Üsküdar where this historic Ottoman structure is located, to see it. You need to have an avid interest in the Ottoman history to go all the way there.
However, if you are in Üsküdar exploring Ottoman heritage, make sure to go see the Atik Valide Mosque. The Cinili Mosque is close by and easy to see at the same time. Thus, you can see two splendid historic buildings, both belonging to the fascinating Sultanate of Women period.
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