Mosque

Bereketzade Ali Efendi Mosque

The fountain of the mosque was renovated by Defterdar Mehmed Effendi in 1732.
The mosque was closed to worship in the 1920s due to the decrease in the Muslim population.
The mosque was completely demolished between 1948-1952 and the land it was located on was turned into a parking lot.
It was rebuilt in accordance with the original in the 1990s.

Bereketzade Ali Efendi Mosque is known as the first mosque built in Galata after the conquest of Istanbul. The mosque is namesake of the Bereketzade Neighborhood located just below the Galata Tower.
The mosque was founded by Bereketzade Hacı Ali bin Hasan, one of the guards of the Galata Tower. In addition to the mosque, a madrasah and a fountain were also built, but the madrasah has not survived to the present day. The fountain was renovated over time.
The mosque was closed in the 1920s due to lack of congregation and was completely demolished in the 1950s. However, it was rebuilt and restored to its original state by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in the 1990s.
The mosque’s inscription states that there was a secret passage from the Galata Tower to the mosque’s minaret and from there to the old Karaköy harbor. This passage was partially unearthed during excavations.
The mosque, which was built as a classical Ottoman neighborhood mosque with a wooden roof, is open to worship today and preserves its historical texture.