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The Nuruosmaniye Mosque, an 18th-century Ottoman mosque in Istanbul’s Çemberlitaş neighborhood, was added to Turkey’s Tentative World Heritage Sites list in 2016. Designed by Greek architect Simeon Kalfa, it was the first major Ottoman structure to showcase the Ottoman Baroque style, incorporating European baroque and neoclassical influences. Its curved courtyard and ornate decoration reflect this shift in architectural tradition. The mosque's grand dome, among the largest in Istanbul, is part of a larger külliye that served as a cultural and religious hub.
Commissioned by Sultan Mahmud I in 1748 and completed by Sultan Osman III in 1755, the mosque was named 'The Light of Osman.' It marked a revival of the imperial tradition of sultans building monumental mosques. Located near the Grand Bazaar and the Column of Constantine, it replaced a smaller, deteriorating mosque after Sultan Mahmud I appropriated its waqf. His personal commitment to the project was celebrated in Ottoman writings, portraying it as a divinely inspired endeavor.
Structurally, the mosque features a 25.4-meter dome, supported by four massive arches and iron bracing, making it Istanbul’s third-largest historic dome after Hagia Sophia and Süleymaniye Mosque. The horseshoe-shaped courtyard, an innovation in Ottoman design, leads to an interior filled with golden Qur'anic calligraphy and intricate Baroque carvings. Its mixtilinear arches, fluted minbar, and uniquely shaped capitals distinguish it from earlier Ottoman architecture. The complex’s blend of Islamic and European elements reshaped Istanbul’s skyline, marking a definitive break from classical Ottoman style.
References:The ancient Argos Theater was built in 320 BC. and is located in Argos, Greece against Larissa Hill. Nearby from this site is Agora, Roman Odeon, and the Baths of Argos. The theater is one of the largest architectural developments in Greece and was renovated in ca 120 AD.
The Hellenistic theater at Argos is cut into the hillside of the Larisa, with 90 steps up a steep incline, forming a narrow rectilinear cavea. Among the largest theaters in Greece, it held about 20,000 spectators and is divided by two landings into three horizontal sections. Staircases further divide the cavea into four cunei, corresponding to the tribes of Argos A high wall was erected to prevent unauthorized access into the theatron and may have helped the acoustics, but it is said the sound quality is still very good today.
Around 120 CE, both theaters were renovated in the Roman style.