BEYAZIT MOSQUE

BEYAZIT MOSQUE

Construction of Beyazıt Mosque, was initiated by the 8th sultan of the empire, Bayezid II. Pronunciation of the sultan's name later evolved into 'Beyazıt' and this version became the name both for the mosque and the square it is in.

The benefector Bayezid II is the son of Mehmed The Conqueror so that means this mosque was built not so long after the conquest of Istanbul and to be more elaborate, it is the second imperial mosque built in the city coming after Old Fatih Mosque. Since the old Fatih Mosque is now collapsed and present day Fatih Mosque is a rebuilt building with a new design, Beyazıt is the oldest remaining example of an imperial mosque in Istanbul.

Since the mosque does not have outer courtyard walls, it can be seen naturally merged into the square. This feature emphasizes its location that is on a quite central spot today. In the past, the structure had those outer walls which are lost not but because it was close to the palace that was known as 'Old Palace' and to the 'Diwan Road' that walks to the Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace, walls did not hold the mosque back from being central. The compound elements besides the mosque include tombs, a foodbank, a kindergarden, a guesthouse, a madrasah, a Turkish bath and a caravansary.  Among these, the kindergarden building was noted on the documents as spared to give free education to the orphans and poor children.

All these service buildings are placed in a scattered pattern through the square’s land and both in the past and now the compound have been a centre of attraction for shopkeepers. Looking at how The Grand Bazaar and used-book bazaar are near, it is easy to notice that.

Going back to the mosque, although various names such as Architect Hayreddin, Architect Kemaleddin or Yaqubshah ibn Sultanshah are mentioned in the guesses about the identity of the architect of the mosque, none of these names could be pointed out for certain. The Arabic inscription at the entrance of the mosque says it was started being constructed in July 1501 and was completed in 1505. Under the dome carried by the four elephant’s feet columns, the interior displays a humble harmony of geometrical designs and penwork ornamentations. Together with all we noted so far and with the fact that it is too easy to get to, Beyazıt Mosque is a really precious destination to miss.