Changes After Construction
In 1475, Mesa Domenko Church (St. Domenico Church) was converted into a mosque by Mehmed the Comqueror.
It was repaired in 1595-1603 during the reign of Mehmed III.
In 1734-1735, it was enlarged and a new fountain was added by Mustafa II's wife Saliha Sultan.
In 1807, it suffered a fire and was repaired again.
In 1913-1919, a comprehensive restoration was carried out, the narthex was added and the mosque was enlarged.
Featured Highlights
According to some narrations, the first place where the call to prayer was heard in Istanbul was the Arap Mosque.
The Arab Mosque emerged after the conquest of Istanbul, when one of the largest churches, the Mesa Domenko Church, was converted into a mosque. It is thought that the mosque was named Arab because Muslim Arabs who migrated from Spain settled in this region.
The mosque has a long rectangular structure and the section on the qibla side is in Gothic style. The Gothic vaults and the minaret adjacent to the structure date back to the church period.
Since the minaret resembles the minarets of the Umayyad Mosque in Syria and Damascus, a false myth has emerged that the structure dates back to the Umayyad period.
During the restoration carried out between 1913 and 1919, Italian tombstones were found under the floor under the mosque and were taken to the Archaeological Museum.
The Mihrab and the Sultan’s Lodge are in the baroque style, and frescoes from the Byzantine period were found in the passageway under the minaret.
The mosque is one of the most interesting buildings in Istanbul, being one of the rare examples reflecting a mixture of Ottoman, Byzantine and Latin architectural styles.
