Mahmut Pasha Mosque, Eminönü

The mosque was commissioned by Mahmud Pasha, the grand vizier of Sultan Mehmet II Fatih "the Conqueror". Completed in 1464, it is one of the first buildings within the city walls built specifically as a mosque.[1] Up to that time, Byzantine churches were converted into mosques.

The mosque is designed in the Bursa style with the main space covered by a number of identical domes. This is an early Ottoman style which was soon abandoned in favour of the single large dome with smaller extensions. In this case, the main space is a 2x1 rectangle and is covered with two identical domes, each with a diameter of 12.5 metres (41 ft).[2] The mihrab and minbar are located on the short side of the rectangle. The areas on either side are each covered by a simple sloping roof.

The entrance to the mosque is similar to that of a Byzantine church, with an outer porch (exonarthex) and an inner porch (esonarthex), each covered by five small domes.

The columns holding up the outer porch were originally marble but were replaced by the present stone ones in the 18th century after damage by an earthquake. The mahfil was added in the 19th century, and the mihrab and minbar replaced; as a result, they are in a different style to the rest of the mosque.

The octagonal mausoleum (türbe) of Mahmut Paşa in the grounds of the mosque is dated AH 878 (1473-74) on an inscription at the entrance.[2]

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  Mahmut Pasha Mosque from side
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  Mahmut Pasha Mosque exterior view of side
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  Mahmut Pasha Mosque inscription
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  Mahmut Pasha Mosque interior
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  Mahmut Pasha Mosque interior

• List of mosques
• Ottoman architecture

• Goodwin, Godfrey (2003) [1971]. A History of Ottoman Architecture. London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-27429-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)