“Imagine Istanbul’s Ortaköy pier square. There, you would find the Büyük Mecidiye Camii. It is also known as the Ortaköy Mosque. But wait. We are not in Istanbul. We are standing in front of Mecidiye Camii in Ankara.
Mecidiye Camii. A gift from Sultan Abdülmecid I. This majestic mosque carries a tale of architectural brilliance and historical significance. It stands as a testament to Ottoman artistry.
In fact, the real name of the Ortaköy Camii in Istanbul is Büyük Mecidiye Camii. Sultan Abdülmecid commissioned it in 1853. He assigned the task to Armenian architect Nigoğos Balyan. The result? A stunning blend of Baroque architecture. The mosque features both a harim and a hünkar section. Its elegant decorations create a mesmerizing atmosphere. The Bosphorus view is stunning in Istanbul.
Before the Mecidiye Camii, another mescit existed. Mahmut Ağa had built it. However, during the Patrona Halil Uprising in 1721, it was damaged. So, it was torn down. Then, the Ortaköy Camii was built in its place.
At the entrance, you will spot Sultan Abdülmecid’s tughra. The design allows sunlight from all directions. This is one of its most striking features.
Nikogos Balyan designed the cami. It includes a harim section. There is also a hünkar pavilion in front of the entrance. This mirrors other 19th-century selatin mosques. The composition is symmetrical along the north-south axis. The harim and hünkar sections are equal in size on the east and west facades.
Inside, the harim is a square space. It measures about 12.25 meters on each side. A dome covers it. The dome rests on pendentives. The northern sections are covered with vaults. The last congregation area is a rectangular entrance hall. It leads to the harim.
The building boasts wide, tall windows. In the harim, three large arched windows line each of the three facades. The qibla facade features a blind window. This is where the mihrab is placed.
The marble mihrab niche is in the Empire style. Relief plant motifs adorn the corner fillings. The border features relief geometric motifs. Pink stones decorate the marble minbar. Geometric patterns and Baroque curves embellish the railings. A marble and somaki pulpit stands to the left.
Red and white veined pink stone imitations cover the interior walls. Calligraphy panels adorn the walls. Sultan Abdülmecid wrote some. Ali Haydar Bey wrote others. Landscape and architectural designs embellish the pendentives and dome.
The two-story hünkar kasrı connects to the entrance hall. It consists of eastern and western wings. Curving staircases in the northwest corner lead to it. The eastern and western wings protrude. They create a small courtyard at the entrance. The hünkar entrance is on the west facade of the entrance hall. Two staircases with ten steps lead to a three-section area.
The second floor’s western wing serves as the hünkar apartment. The eastern and western wings are symmetrical. A staircase in the southern part of the eastern wing connects the floors.
There are design differences between the harim and the hünkar kasrı. The harim is richly decorated. The hünkar kasrı facades are simple. Moldings surround the arched windows. Triangular or circular pediments top the hünkar apartment windows.
Baroque and Rococo styles define the exterior. Carved stone reliefs add to its appeal. The building rises about two meters from its base. Moldings separate the ground floor from the gallery floor. These moldings also form the eaves cornices of the hünkar kasrı. The facade features three concave openings. False columns are on each facade. Fluted on the gallery floor, they have composite capitals.
The slender minarets rise from the sides of the stepped platform. Consoles with inverted volutes support the şerefe. Gilded acanthus leaves embellish the lower sections.
The Mecidiye Camii suffered damage over the years. Repairs occurred in 1862 and 1866. An earthquake in 1894 caused significant damage. The Evkaf Nezareti restored it in 1909. The original fluted minarets were replaced. New sections were added. Cracks reappeared in the 1960s. The Vakıflar General Directorate reinforced the foundations. The dome was rebuilt. The cami reopened in 1969. A fire in 1984 caused further damage. It was restored again.
Despite changes over time, the Ortaköy Camii remains a valuable architectural treasure.”