Description

Essentials about the Ortaköy Mosque in brief

The Ortaköy Mosque is one of Istanbul’s most popular photo motifs and graces the cover of many a travel guide. This is partly because the mosque, built in Ottoman Baroque style, is itself a feast for the eyes and partly because the mosque lies in the shadow of the massive 15 July Martyrs Bridge. Seen from the Bosphorus, the mosque and bridge make one of the most popular Istanbul panoramas.

The history of the Ortaköy Mosque

On the instructions of Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha’s son-in-law, a prayer house was built in 1721 on the present site of the Ortaköy Mosque. This was badly damaged in 1730 and probably rebuilt in the late 1740s. In 1853, Sultan Abdülmecid I ordered the construction of a new mosque, which was completed three years later.

The architecture of the Ortaköy Mosque

Next to the domed central building, which is flanked by four corner towers with baroque roof hoods, two elegant minarets rise into the sky. Inside, the Ortaköy Mosque is almost reminiscent of a Baroque palace. The large windows create a light-filled interior and allow for unique lighting effects from the sunlight reflected in the water. In addition, the marble-clad prayer hall features beautiful calligraphy of Sultan Abdülmecid’s own, who was a true master of Arabic penmanship.

Website

Unavailable.

Opening hours

Admission fees

None.

Address

Getting there

By public transport:

Bus lines 22, 22RE, 25E, 30D, 40, 40T, 42T, 57UL, DT2 and U2: Stop Kabatas Lisesi

Bus lines 22, 22RE, 25E, 40, 40T and 42T: Stop Ortaköy

By car:

The nearest parking lot is Ortakoy Acik Otoparki.