Eminonu New Mosque, one of the most famous monuments of Istanbul’s ancient city, is one of the sultans’ masterpieces facing the sea. The mosque is the last of the Ottoman Sultans’ big mosques to be built, and it took the longest to complete in comparison to other mosques.
Eminonu New Mosque History and Architecture
It is located in Fatih Municipality’s Eminonu Square, Istanbul’s busiest location; every day, inhabitants and tourists from all over the world pass by Eminonu New Mosque. The Sultan’s Mother’s Mosque, or the Sultana’s Mother’s Mosque, is another name for Eminonu New Mosque. Safiya Sultan, Sultan Muhammad III’s mother, ordered its construction in 1597. The mosque’s construction was put on hold because sultans who came after Muhammad III were hesitant to finish the project, among other reasons.
Sultan Hatice Turhan, mother of Sultan Mohammed IV, passed by the mosque after the major fire in Istanbul in 1660 and saw the devastation and ruin, therefore it was completed in 1663 under her supervision.
One of the most exquisite palaces attached to mosques erected in the 17th century is the Sultan’s Palace, which is situated in the mosque. Although the mosque is known as the new mosque, it is now 500 years old and has become an icon of Eminonu. It has been ruled by eight Ottoman sultans in its 66-year history.
The mosque and the time it was built demonstrate how powerful the mothers of sultans were in the Ottoman Empire, notably in the 16th and 17th centuries.
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The gated corridor, which leads to the Sultan’s Palace and connects Banks Street to the strait’s side, is a distinctive feature of Eminonu New Mosque. The mosque’s inner courtyard has an ablution area, and the courtyard is ringed by a hallway flanked by twenty columns with twenty-four domes atop them.
As building crept closer to this mosque, it lost its outside courtyard, but its three-door interior courtyard remained, embellished with magnificent ceramic ornaments.
How to Get to Eminonu New Mosque
To reach the mosque using public transportation, go to Eminonu Square in Istanbul. By bus, you can get to the square from most of Istanbul’s central locations. You can also take the Bagcilar-Kabatas tram line to Eminonu and get off there. The sea ferry from Uskudar or Kadikoy is the best route to get to the square from the Asian side.