Mosque

Bezmiâlem Valide Sultan Mosque (Dolmabahçe Mosque)

After the death of Bezmiâlem Valide Sultan, it was completed by her son Sultan Abdulmejid (1853-55).
Dolmabahçe Mosque was opened for worship with a Friday ceremony on March 23, 1855, after a construction period of more than two years.
During the arrangement of Dolmabahçe Square in 1948, the courtyard walls were demolished and some changes were made to the exterior of the mosque.
It was restored by the Directorate General of Foundations in 1966.

Bezmiâlem Valide Sultan Mosque is known among the public as Dolmabahçe Mosque and is located just across from Dolmabahçe Palace.
The structure reflects an eclectic architectural style combining Baroque, Rococo and Empire styles. Western influences are seen heavily on the exterior, and the decorations specific to classical Ottoman architecture have given way to Western-style decorations.
The mosque has a square plan and its main dome is supported by four large arches. The transition to the dome is provided by pendentives.
One of the striking elements of the mosque is the rectangular weight towers placed at the corners. These towers are decorated with Baroque-Rococo style details that increase both the aesthetics and the durability of the structure.
The Sultan’s Pavilion covers the front facade of the mosque. The minarets rising on both sides of the pavilion attract attention with their thin, long forms and grooved bodies. The lower balconies are decorated with acanthus leaves.
The interior of the mosque features Western-style hand-drawn works, gilded decorations and colored marble work. Baroque decorations were used on the mihrab and minbar.
Between 1948 and 1961, the mosque and the Sultan’s Pavilion were used as the Naval Museum and later reopened for worship.