New Mosque

This is yet another of Istanbul’s emblematic mosques. This so-called New Mosque was actually built in 1663. Yes, I know, with a name like this, you’d expect it to be a little more recent. But hey, it’s a bit like the Pont Neuf aka New Bridge in Paris, which is in fact the oldest in the city. It was built at the request of Safiye sultana, wife of Sultan Murad III. This highly influential woman had a much more complex project in mind; she envisioned a grand mosque right at the heart of the city’s Jewish and commercial district. And let me tell you, it was all well thought out. However, following her husband’s death, the sultana was relegated to the harem, and construction was abandoned. The building fell into disrepair and then burned to the ground in 1660. It was then that the imperial architect suggested to Turhan Hatice Sultan, mother of the new sultan, that she finish the mosque to prove her faith. The sultana thought it an excellent idea and the mosque was completed by 1667. I’ll leave you to admire the results. The mosque features a pyramidal arrangement of sixty-six domes and semi-domes, as well as two minarets. The architect drew inspiration from the mosques built by Sinan and Sedefhar Mehmed Agha, who designed the beautiful Blue Mosque. Like all imperial mosques, it is built as a kulliye, as part of a complex of buildings catering to the city’s cultural and religious needs. Here, you’ll find the mausoleum of Turhan Hatice Sultan, her son Mehmed IV and five other sultans.