Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque
- Changes the building has undergone since its construction
- The mosque, built in 1885, has undergone some restoration and repairs in the following years.
- The large glass-paned porches in the original building were removed and straight stairs were added.
- The clock tower in the Yıldız Mosque courtyard was added in 1890.
- Prominent features of the mosque
- Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque was built by Sultan Abdul Hamid II for his Friday greetings, right next to Yıldız Palace. The Sultan’s own carpentry skills are evident in some parts of the mosque.
- Built in a combination of Orientalist and Neo-Gothic styles, the mosque draws attention with its architectural details. The crown gate at the entrance of the mosque and the windows made of white Trieste limestone decorate the mosque, increasing the magnificence of the structure.
- The elegant single-balcony minaret of the mosque rises from the west wing of the building and is different from the double minaret application seen in other imperial mosques.
- The dome of the sanctuary receives plenty of light with sixteen windows built in the Neo-Gothic style. The dome is inscribed with the Basmala and the first three verses of the Holy Quran’s Surah an-Najm.
- The mosque hosted majestic Friday greetings until the end of Sultan Abdul Hamid II’s reign, and went down in history when the assassination attempt by Armenian committee members happened on July 21, 1905.
- The clock tower located at the northwest corner of the Yıldız Mosque is a mixture of Orientalist and Neo-Gothic styles and is built on three floors. The clock on the tower adds a separate aesthetic value to the structure.
