Ever wonder about the story etched in the stones of Istanbul’s fifth hill? It’s here at the Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque. This 16th-century Ottoman imperial mosque carries a tale of a son’s love and architectural ambition.
Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent commissioned this mosque. It was built in memory of his father, Selim I. Selim I had died in 1520. Construction spanned from 1520 to 1528. Acem Ali was the architect entrusted with this honor.
The Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque stands as the second oldest imperial mosque still standing in Istanbul. Its size and location make it easily recognizable. It is a prominent feature of Istanbul’s skyline.
The mosque complex once included guest houses for traveling dervishes. It also had a primary school and a soup kitchen. The guest houses, with their domed cells, stood on either side of the mosque. Sadly, the soup kitchen is now gone.
The courtyard showcases a colonnaded portico. Marble and granite columns support it. Sultan Murad IV added an ablutions fountain to this serene space.
Look closely at the windows around the courtyard. You will see colored tiles crafted using the cuerda seca technique. Iranian craftsmen, employed by the Ottoman court, likely created these.
Inside the Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque, the prayer hall measures 24.5 meters on each side. A dome reaching 32.5 meters in height crowns the hall. The interior decor is surprisingly simple for an imperial mosque.
Behind the mosque lie four tombs. Ottoman sultans rest in two of them.
The tomb of Selim I is octagonal. It features a porch adorned with beautiful tiles. Completed in 1523, its doors boast mother-of-pearl inlays. Selim I, also known as Selim the Grim, expanded the Ottoman Empire significantly. He ruled from 1512 to 1520.
Beside Selim I’s tomb rests Hafsa Sultan, Selim I’s chief consort. She was also the mother of Suleiman the Magnificent. She lies next to her daughter, Hatice Sultan. Acem Ali built this tomb in 1534. Mimar Sinan later repaired it.
Across from Selim I’s tomb is a tomb for princes. Three sons of Suleiman the Magnificent are buried here. Their names were Mahmud, Murad, and Abdullah. Mimar Sinan likely built this tomb in 1556.
Finally, the tomb of Sultan Abdülmecid I stands in the complex. Garabet Balyan, an Ottoman Armenian architect, designed it. Abdülmecid I died in 1861.
Take in the views from the Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque. It overlooks the Golden Horn. You can spot several important landmarks from here. The Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque is more than a building. It is a landmark, a memorial, and a testament to Ottoman history.