Stones whisper tales of emperors and architects at the Bayramtepe Sultan Beyazıt Cami. Here we stand before this testament to Ottoman artistry. Sultan Bayezid II commissioned this grand mosque. It became Istanbul’s second large imperial mosque complex after the conquest of 1453.
The earlier Fatih Mosque fell victim to earthquakes. It was rebuilt in a different style. This makes the Bayramtepe Sultan Beyazıt Cami the oldest imperial complex in Istanbul that retains its original form. Its historical and architectural significance is immense.
Construction stretched from 1500 to 1505. A külliye was added immediately afterward. This complex included a medrese a theological college completed in 1507 and a large hamam. The hamam was finished before 1507. An imaret a soup kitchen a caravanserai and several mausolea were also part of it. Sultan Bayezid II himself rests in one of these mausolea.
The chief architect remains a mystery. Scholar Rıfkı Melûl Meriç identified Yakubşah ibn Islamşah. He based this on Ottoman documents mentioning architects during Bayezid II’s reign. Yusuf ibn Papas one of Yakubşah’s assistants completed the medrese. The architect was a nephew of the Greek architect of the Fatih Mosque Atik Sinan or Christodoulos.
The Bayramtepe Sultan Beyazıt Cami stands on the grounds of the Forum of Theodosius. It’s located in Beyazıt Square. In the 19th and early 20th centuries it was called the Pigeon Mosque. Many birds congregated here hoping to be fed by worshippers.
Earthquakes and fires tested the Bayramtepe Sultan Beyazıt Cami over centuries. The dome needed partial rebuilding after a quake in 1509. Mimar Sinan himself undertook repairs in 1573 to 1574. Minarets suffered burns in 1683 and 1754. Lightning struck in 1743 causing more damage.
Restoration is a constant companion to historical monuments. Extensive restoration began in August 2012. It lasted eight years. Inappropriate materials from past repairs were removed. Damaged materials were cleaned or replaced. The project involved 150 people. It cost 49 million Turkish liras. The Bayramtepe Sultan Beyazıt Cami reopened in 2020.
The exterior shows careful planning. The mosque aligns along the northwest-southeast axis. A courtyard nearly equals the mosque’s size. Monumental entrance portals stand on three sides. A colonnaded peristyle supports the courtyard. Twenty columns hold it up. Porphyry verd antique and pink granite form these columns. Twenty-four small domes roof the courtyard. Polychrome marble paves the area.
Measuring 40 meters per side the mosque presents a square form. The dome reaches approximately 17 meters in diameter. Two semi-domes support the central dome along the main axis. Two arches run along the secondary axis. Cut stone marbles and colored stones construct the mosque.
Inside the design echoes Hagia Sophia. Semi-domes create a nave. Side aisles extend the mosque’s width each with four small domes. Rectangular piers support the dome. Smooth pendentives and stalactite decorations adorn the space. Light streams through twenty windows at the dome’s base. Seven windows on each semi-dome and two tiers of windows on the walls also add light.
A sultan’s loge stands to the right of the mihrab. Ten marble columns support it. These columns came from older Byzantine churches. A broad corridor extends beyond the building’s main structure on the west side. Originally designed as domed cells for wandering dervishes the wings were integrated into the prayer hall in the 16th century.
Behind the mosque a garden holds tombs. Sultan Bayezid II his daughter Selçuk Hatun and Grand Vizier Koca Mustafa Reşid Pasha rest here. Below the garden an arcade of shops supports the mosque. Mimar Sinan designed it in 1580. The former soup kitchen became the State Library of Istanbul in 1882. The former medrese now houses the Museum of Turkish Calligraphy Art currently undergoing restoration. The Bayezid II Hamam reopened as the Museum of Turkish Hamam Culture in 2015 after restoration.
The Bayramtepe Sultan Beyazıt Cami a testament to time stands before us. Its stones hold stories of sultans architects and worshippers. May its beauty endure.