Sümbül Efendi Mosque
Changes after its construction:
- The church, which was repaired by Emperor Basileios I after the end of the Iconoclastic movement, was severely damaged during the Latin occupation between 1204 and 1261.
- The building, which was used as the Hagios Andreas Church during the Byzantine period, was converted into a mosque by Koca Mustafa Pasha in 1486.
- The additions made to the west by Chief Financier Ekmekçizade Ahmed Pasha in the 17th century were later removed.
- In 1737, a column-shaped fountain was added to the middle of the courtyard by Beşir Agha, the agha of Darüssaade.
- The building, which was largely repaired in 1834 during the reign of Mahmud II, was restored by renewing the portico and wooden parts in the 1950s and restoring the dome and semi-domes.
- In 1999, restoration work was carried out following the damage caused by the August 17 earthquake.
Prominent features:
- It is also known as Kocamustafapaşa Mosque.
- The mosque, built on the site of the Byzantine Hagios Andreas Church, was used as the central lodge of the Sunbuliyye order during the Ottoman period and was popularly known as the “Sünbül Efendi Mosque”.
- The mosque, which is covered with a central dome supported by four pillars in the middle area and two side semi-domes, was turned to the north-south axis and brought into line with the order. The octagonal rostrum of the minaret is one of the most elegant and ornamented examples in Istanbul.
- A five-domed portico supported by six columns with pendant capitals is in the typical Ottoman mosque architectural style.
- The tomb of Koca Mustafa Pasha and the graves of the sheikhs of the Sunbuliyye order increase the spiritual importance of the structure. The graveyard also contains the graves of famous calligraphers such as Hafiz Osman.
- The Rifat Pasha and Hacı Emine Hanım fountains built at the entrance of the courtyard in the 19th century contribute to the aesthetics of the building.
- This mosque is an important structure that combines Ottoman architecture and Byzantine heritage and reflects the historical and cultural identity of Istanbul.
