Has Odabaşı Behruz Ağa Mosque

Audio Narration

Construction Year:

1562

Location:

Fatih, İstanbul

Ordered by:

Has Odabaşı Behruz Ağa

Architect:

Mimar Sinan

- Changes the building has undergone since its construction
  • It underwent extensive repairs by Sultan Mahmud II in 1836.
  • The mosque and its garden, which fell into disrepair during the Republican period, were covered with small shops and houses around it. In 1983, these buildings were removed and it was restored to its original state by the Directorate General of Foundations.
- Prominent features of the mosque
  • The mosque is located in a large courtyard with cut stone walls. The wooden roof with wide eaves is covered with tiles. The mosque is entered from the large narthex through two doors on the west and north. There are two small mihrabs in the narthex.
  • The entrance to the Harim is through a wooden door. The interior is illuminated by a total of 12 windows, top and bottom. The ceiling is reinforced concrete and the interior is covered with wooden slats. The mihrab is plastered, the minbar and the preacher’s pulpit are wooden. The interior is beautified with floral motifs and blue-toned decorations.
  • The minaret located in the northeast corner of the mosque is made of cut stone and has a single balcony.
  • The courtyard is surrounded by stone walls and has two gates opening onto Mevlanakapı and Vezir Street. The grave of the founder, Behruz Agha, is located in the mosque garden; it has been revived through excavations. Behind the eastern wall is a small cemetery.
  • In the courtyard of the mosque, there is the primary school, which is a part of the structure. This school, with stone walls and a wooden roof, still preserves its historical identity today.