Nuruosmaniye Mosque

Istanbul


Facing one of the major gateways into the Grand Bazaar, this large mosque complex was built in Ottoman baroque style between 1748 and 1755. Construction was started by order of Mahmut I and finished during the reign of his successor, Osman III. Meticulously restored in recent years, it has a central prayer hall topped by one of the largest domes ever built in an Ottoman mosque, a unique polygonal rear courtyard and a külliye comprising medrese (seminary), imaret (soup kitchen), kütüphane (library) and türbe (tomb).

Though designed in the then highly fashionable and modern baroque style, the mosque has very strong echoes of Aya Sofya – specifically the lofty dome, colonnaded mezzanine galleries, broad band of calligraphy around the interior (in this case a marble relief of the Sura Al-Fath) and 174 windows topped with Roman arches. Despite its prominent position on the busy pedestrian route from Cağaloğlu Meydanı and Nuruosmaniye Caddesi to the bazaar, it is surprisingly peaceful and contemplative inside. The türbe contains Şehsuvar Sultan, mother of Osman III, and the library (being restored at the time of research) is home to more than 5000 handwritten and printed manuscripts. Visitor entry to the mosque is via the rear courtyard.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Istanbul attractions

1. Vezir Han

0.1 MILES

One of the many hans (caravanserais) in the Bazaar District, this huge structure was built between 1659 and 1660 by the Köprülüs, a distinguished Ottoman…

2. Mahmutpaşa Hamamı

0.12 MILES

Functioning as a somewhat tawdry shopping centre since 1990, this Ottoman hamam has retained its form and many of its original features. One of the oldest…

3. Grand Bazaar

0.12 MILES

The colourful and chaotic Grand Bazaar is the heart of İstanbul's Old City and has been so for centuries. Starting as a small vaulted bedesten (warehouse)…

4. Column of Constantine

0.13 MILES

Erected by order of the Emperor Constantine to celebrate the dedication of New Rome (Constantinople) as capital of the Roman Empire in 330, this column is…

5. Divan Yolu Caddesi

0.13 MILES

Dating from Roman times, the Old City's major boulevard is home to Ottoman mosques, cemeteries, medreses (seminaries) and türbes (tombs), as well as shops…

6. Şerefiye Cistern

0.23 MILES

When an unremarkable 1950s municipal building on this site was demolished in 2010, the construction crew made an exciting subterranean discovery: a…

7. Beyazıt State Library

0.24 MILES

Occupying the former imaret (soup kitchen) and kervansaray (caravanserai) of the Beyazıt Mosque's külliye, this library has recently been the subject of a…

8. Büyük Valide Han

0.25 MILES

Commissioned by Murat IV's mother, Kösem Valide Sultan, this massive han (caravanserai) was built in 1651 and originally housed up to 3000 travellers and…