Sokullu Mehmet Paşa Mosque
- Changes after its construction
- The mosque was built on the site of a Byzantine church.
- The income from the villages and agricultural lands granted to Sokollu Pasha by Esmahan Sultan in 1568 was donated to the complex.
- At the beginning of the 20th century, the mosque was renovated with minor repairs and restorations, and its original structure has survived to the present day.
- Prominent features
- The mosque, which has a rectangular plan developed transversely, was built in the classical Ottoman architectural style with six pillars. Mimar Sinan’s six-pile supported dome style is a perfect example in this structure.
- The inner courtyard, surrounded by porticos on three sides, is surrounded by 16 madrasah rooms with domes on top. The arches in the porticos are connected to the dome, creating a powerful architectural style.
- The fountain in the middle of the courtyard is covered with a dome meticulously crafted with marble columns and grids.
- The narthex, consisting of seven sections, is covered with domes supported by marble columns with muqarnas capitals; this area is decorated with hand-drawn calligraphy and patterns.
- The mosque is covered with a dome with a diameter of 13 meters in the center. The dome is supported by an octagonal drum from the outside and weight towers are added to its four corners.
- The minbar and mihrab, which attract attention with their marble workmanship, are decorated with pediments with rumi patterns. The cone of the minbar is covered with tiles.
- There are vertical lines on the body of the minaret; the balcony of the minaret, decorated with muqarnas (stalactite) filling, is quite elegant.
- The southern wall of the Harim is covered with Iznik tiles up to the arches; these decorations include floral motifs, verses and inscriptions containing religious names.
- The hand-drawn works inside the mosque are quite rich with the patterns on the domes and semi-domes. In addition, the Malakari decorations on the ceiling of the courtyard entrance gate are noteworthy.
- In the graveyard of the mosque are the graves of the grandchildren of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha and the post-nines of the order. The graves of some family members descended from Sokollu Mehmed Pasha and Esmahan Sultan are also here.
- The mosque’s lodge, which has the characteristics of a classical Ottoman religious order structure, is surrounded by courtyards and porticoes, and the tevhidhane is built on a rectangular plan. It served the Halvetiyye and Celvetiyye religious orders until the lodges were closed in 1925.
