Remarkably, considering that it was built for one of the most famous women in history of the Ottoman Empire, you would expect to see a monumental structure. However, it’s a small mosque, secluded in a residential part of the city, far from all possible touristic routes.
OTTOMAN IMPERIAL MOSQUES
Ottoman sultans or other members of the dynasty commissioned these historic monuments. They were usually built as a külliye, a complex of buildings with a mosque in the centre, surrounded with madrasas, kitchens and other buildings for various charitable services for the poor.
The biggest are the 16th and 17th century complexes, although mosques built in the 18th and 19th century are equally significant. Fatih Sultan Mehmed constructed two big mosques in the 15th century, right after he conquered Constantinople. But these two original structures were destroyed by earthquakes or fires and were rebuilt at a later date.
The chief imperial architect Mimar Sinan constructed most of the existent complexes in Istanbul. The master architect of the Ottoman Empire for 50 years, he set the pattern for other külliye architects.
Many Ottoman imperial mosques are in other cities in Turkey. Bursa was the first proper capital of the Ottoman Empire and some historically very important religious temples are there. Other Ottoman imperial mosques are in Edirne, Konya, Amasya, Manisa and even in 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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