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 important religious temples are there. Other Ottoman imperial mosques are in Edirne, Konya, Amasya, Manisa and even in Damascus.
NURUOSMANIYE MOSQUE
The Nuruosmaniye Mosque is definitely one of the most recognisable Istanbul’s landmarks. When you cross the Galata Bridge from Karaköy to Eminönü, it is right in front of you. It dominates the skyline of the city, together with other prominent buildings that you can see at the same time.
Additionally, it is surrounded by shops and other business on all sides. Most tourists inevitably pass through its courtyard on the way to the Grand Bazaar, which is immediately next to the mosque.
Sultan Mahmud I commissioned its construction in 1748. But his successor Sultan Osman III completed it in 1755.
This mosque is one of the finest examples of the Ottoman Baroque style. In fact, it was the first mosque that broke with the established Classical Ottoman architectural tradition in building imperial mosques. Its name means “the light of Osman”, after Sultan Osman III. At the same time, many windows let a lot of light into the mosque.
One more interesting fact is that this was the first mosque built by the Ottoman sultan in his name, after the Blue Mosque built by Sultan Ahmed I.
There were, of course, other imperial mosques in the meantime, such as the Çinili Mosque built for Kösem Sultan or the Yeni Mosque built for Turhan Hatice Sultan. However, these were two formidable women that ruled the Ottoman Empire at some point during the Sultanate of Women era.
Undoubtedly, because of its location this is probably one of the most visited Ottoman imperial mosques, after the Blue Mosque.
If you happen to pass nearby, I encourage you to visit it. The mosque and its surrounding complex are beautiful. The complex consisted of hünkâr kasrı, a building attached to the mosque that provided a private access for sultan and his family. There was also a library, a madrasa and a public soup kitchen (imaret). You can also see a türbe of Sultan Osman’s III mother, Shehsuvar Sultan.
A feature in the mosque, that caught my attention, were the calligraphic writings in golden letters on red metal plates representing the Islamic art at its best.
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