The most famous mosques in Istanbul
The most famous mosques in Istanbul
Istanbul is characterized by having the largest number of mosques in the world. The number of mosques in Turkey is 84,000. Where Istanbul takes the majority of it. The number of mosques in it is 3.269 mosques. The following are the most important famous mosques in Istanbul
Arap Camii (Arab Mosque) – the most famous mosque in Istanbul
The Arab Mosque was built in 717 AD by an Islamic army that came to Istanbul which was called Constantinople at the time. This army came to conquer and liberate Istanbul from the hands of the Byzantines according to one of the records, the army was led by Muslima bin Abdul Malik with a number of Arab leaders and some of the sons of the Companions, they besieged the Byzantines in the year 95 AH for nearly a whole year from land and sea. The army was not able to conquer Constantinople at the time, the only took control of the Galata region, then an agreement was made between the Islamic army and the Byzantine Emperor “Leon”. They agreed for the construction of a mosque in the area controlled by the Islamic army and using it to perform their worship. The Muslims performed their worship in the Arab Mosque for about 7 years, which ended with the return of the Islamic army to the Levant.
After the departure of the Islamic army for a long time, the mosque turned into a church for the followers of the “Dominican” doctrine. It became a follower of Western Rome and was called Salen Palo. In 1453, Sultan Mehmed Al-Fatih , the Conqueror managed to conquer Constantinople, and the church was converted into a mosque again and they built a pulpit for him and named it the Ottoman Empire named it the ” Arap Camii “which means in English mosque of the Arabs and made major changes to it.
Fatih Camii (Fatih Mosque)
It was built in the era of the Ottoman Empire, located in the Fatih district in the Turkish city of Istanbul, and was built according to the Ottoman Islamic architecture. It took its name from Sultan Mehmed Al-Fatih (the Conqueror), who conquered Constantinople in 1453. It was built between 1463 and 1470 by order of Sultan Mehmed Al-Fatih, the engineer Architect Atiq Sinan. There are a number of well-planned buildings around the Al-Fatih Mosque. These buildings include schools and a library, in addition to a hospital and hostels for travelers, a caravanserai (a house for travelers), a market, a public bath, a primary school and a public kitchen that served food for the poor. As for the current mosque, it was built on the basis of a completely different plan from the original mosque, it was completed in 1771 during the reign of Sultan Mustafa, the third.
The mosque is located on Al-Fatih Street, after the ancient walls of Istanbul from the front. The construction of the new mosque is characterized by the design of the architect Sinan Agha, and it consists of a central dome with a diameter of 26 meters. It is supported by four small domes on each axis, it is supported by four marble columns. The two minarets of this mosque are identical in shape. As for the mosque’s pulpit and the calligraphic decorations that spread throughout it, they take on a Baroque character. As for the mihrab, it is the same mihrab of the old building.
süleymaniye camii (süleymaniye mosque) – the most famous mosque in Istanbul
The mosque was built by order of Sultan Suleiman, the First (Suleiman the Magnificent), it was built by the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan, they started working on it in the year 1550 and took seven years, , Sinan was the most famous architects in the history of the Ottomans, may be the best even in the history of Islamic mosques, before the start of work, Sinan had prepared maps, designs, ideas and models, put them in the hands of the Sultan himself, so the Sultan was admired and gave his approval for them, then he opened the door of his treasury to implement them without hesitation, which had the greatest impact in unleashing the imagination and experience of the architect, the artist Sinan, to complete a mosque that he had always been proud of. He said about it: This mosque is my greatest achievement.
The best spots in terms of beauty and prominence were chosen to be the headquarters of the Süleymaniye Mosque. The mosque was built on a high hill overlooking the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn, next to an old building where today Istanbul University was built in the Bayezid district.
The Süleymaniye Mosque includes the mausoleum of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, with a large number of his sons, as well as his wife Hurrem Sultan, in addition to the tombs of famous people from the Ottoman era, as well as a famous library and many facilities. The Suleymaniye Mosque is the largest mosque in Istanbul during the Ottoman Empire era. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, historically described as “the Great,” wanted this mosque to be a sign of the greatness of Islam.
Ortaköy Camii (Ortaköy Mosque)
The famous Ortakoy Mosque is located directly on the Bosphorus coast. It overlooks the sea and the Bosphorus strait in the famous Ortakoy district of Besiktas. It is one of the most attractive mosques in the Turkish city of Istanbul. It was built by the architect Nikogos Balian by order of Sultan Abdul Majid in 1853. This mosque is also known as the camii mecidiye büyük (mecidiye mosque).
The location is very stunning. It is in the heart of Ortakoy district in Besiktas, located on the banks of the Bosphorus Strait. The region itself is one of the most beautiful tourist attractions in Istanbul. So that there is a popular market near the mosque , many restaurants and cafes overlooking the sea and directly on the Bosphorus Bridge.
