ORTAKOY MOSQUE

ORTAKOY MOSQUE

As with many Istanbul mosques, this mosque started life under a different name than the one it’s currently known by. It used to be called the Great Mecidiye Mosque (pronounced Majidiyah), after its patron Sultan Abdulmecid (pronounced Abdulmajid), who was the Sultan of that time. The title “Great” was to distinguish it from another Mecidiye Mosque, known as the Minor Mecidiye Mosque. As with many other mosques, Ortakoy Mosque is a structure that was built in the place of a previous mosque. Between the years 1720–1731, a small mosque had stood there until it was destroyed during a famous uprising in Ottoman History, known as the Patrona Halil Uprising. It was 1854 when Sultan Abdulmecid ordered the construction. An architect called Nikogos Balyan, from a well-known Armenian family of architects known as the Balyans, was put in charge of the construction.

The unique location of Ortaköy Mosque makes it extremely photogenic, and you will probably recognize it from its starring role in countless photos of Istanbul. It sits right on the edge of the Bosphorus, on a pier. So far, we have introduced you to a variety of large, imposing mosques, such as Suleymaniye and the Blue Mosque, but Ortakoy Mosque is an exquisite example of modest perfection. Comprising only the mosque building and royal pavilion, both fashioned in New Baroque style and with two slender minarets, Ortakoy Mosque is one of the crown jewels of the Bosphorus shores of Istanbul.