OTTOMAN IMPERIAL MOSQUES
These historic structures were commissioned either by Ottoman sultans or other members of the dynasty. They were usually built as 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 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 capital of the Ottoman empire and some historically very important temples are there. Other Ottoman imperial mosques are in Edirne, Konya, Amasya, Manisa and even in Damascus.
YAVUZ SULTAN SELIM MOSQUE
What’s interesting about this mosque is that, when you cross the Galata Bridge, you can see two big mosques in the distance. One of them is the Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque on top of the 5th hill of Istanbul, overlooking the Golden Horn.
Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent commissioned this mosque in memory of his father Sultan Selim I, who died in 1520.
It was the fourth imperial complex built in the city, after the fall of Constantinople. The first one was the Eyüp Sultan Mosque and the second one the Fatih Mosque. But these two complexes were destroyed and rebuilt at a later date.
The third one was the Bayezid Mosque, which became the oldest and this one became the second oldest Ottoman imperial mosque in the city.
The architect Alaüddin completed construction of this mosque in 1527-1528.
Additionally, as one of the oldest Islamic religious temples in Istanbul, it has a noticeably different interior decoration from what you can see in mosques constructed later.
In my opinion, this feature makes this mosque unique and beautiful. It’s also interesting to observe the art of interior decoration and its evolution throughout the subsequent centuries.
SULTAN SELIM I
Despite the fact that Sultan Selim I ruled the Empire for only 8 years between 1512 and 1520, he left an immense legacy. Certainly, his biggest achievement was the conquest of the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt in 1517 that enlarged the Ottoman Empire by 70%.
He conquered the core of the Muslim world and assumed the role of the guardian of pilgrimage routes to Mecca and Medina. Additionally, his conquest of the Mamluk Sultanate enabled the Ottoman state to seize the leadership of all Muslims. He also became the first Ottoman Caliph. The Ottoman Caliphate lasted for 407 years, until its abolishment in 1924. In essence, Selim I conquered and unified the Islamic holy lands.
To become a sultan, Selim dethroned his father Sultan Bayezid II and killed his brothers and nephews.
He died in 1520 and is buried in a türbe behind his mosque in Istanbul. Türbe is a small mausoleum of the Ottoman royalty and other important dignitaries and officials of the Ottoman Empire.
HAFSA SULTAN
Ayşe Hafsa Sultan was the concubine of Selim I and the mother of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. She was the first woman to carry the Valide Sultan title from the moment when her son became the new sultan in 1520, until her death in 1534.
However, despite this powerful role, she doesn’t belong to the Sultanate of Women era that started in approximately 1533 when Sultan Suleiman married Hürrem Sultan.
Hafsa Sultan started construction of the mosque complex in Manisa that carries her name today, which surpassed all similar complexes built by previous concubines.
She died in 1534 and is buried in a türbe behind the Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque, next to her husband.
SULTAN ABDÜLMECID I
One more türbe that you can see behind the Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque is that of Sultan Abdülmecid I. The 31st sultan of the Ottoman Empire, he ruled for 22 years between 1839 and 1861.
During his reign, nationalist movements within the Empire started to rise. His greatest achievement was proclamation of the Tanzimat Edict that started the reorganisation of the Ottoman Empire in 1839. Its objective was to encourage loyalty to the Ottoman state and also to stop the rise of the nationalist movements by facilitating integration of non-Muslims and non-Turks into the Ottoman society. Nevertheless, the movement failed.
He abandoned the Topkapi Palace for the new, more modern Dolmabahçe Palace constructed in 1856.
Sultan Abdülmecid I died in 1861, at the age of 38. Unfortunately, his tomb was closed when I was there and I couldn’t see it inside.
WHY SHOULD YOU VISIT YAVUZ SULTAN SELIM MOSQUE
This mosque is not far from the Fatih Mosque. It’s in a historic area of Istanbul that I mentioned in my post “Why do I like Istanbul”.
This also means that, as it’s rather far from the city’s most central area, not many tourists go there. Apart from a handful of worshippers and some local people, I didn’t see any foreigners there. In fact, the mosque was very peaceful.
For people interested in Ottoman history, this nearly 500 years old mosque should be of great interest. Once there, you can also visit the nearby traditional area of Istanbul.
The Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque is in a perfect location with spectacular views of the city. If for no other reason, you should visits this mosque for the views only. You will see Istanbul from a different perspective.
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