Category: Religious
Type: Mosque
Location: Küçük Ayasofya, Şht. Mehmetpaşa St. Fatih
Date: 1571
Period: Ottoman Empire
Designer: Mimar Sinan
Photos: Peter Kealey – Engin Uzun (Google Maps), Kaan Çorbacı
The Sokullu Mehmed Pasha Mosque in the Kadırga neighborhood of Istanbul is a masterpiece designed by the imperial architect Mimar Sinan and completed around 1571 for the renowned Grand Vizier Sokullu Mehmed Pasha and his wife, Ismihan Sultan. Renowned for its architectural ingenuity, the mosque features a central dome supported by a hexagonal arrangement of pillars and arches, creating a spacious and unified interior. It is particularly famous for its exquisite Iznik tilework, which covers large sections of the interior walls with vibrant floral patterns in blue, red, and turquoise, often considered some of the finest examples from the classical Ottoman period. A unique historical detail is the inclusion of several fragments of the Hajar al-Aswad, the sacred Black Stone from the Kaaba in Mecca, which are embedded in the mihrab, minbar, and above the entrance. The complex also integrates a madrasa that wraps around the courtyard, reflecting Sinan’s skill in blending religious and educational spaces into a cohesive urban structure.
