Beyazit Mosque

Istanbul, Turkey

Bayezid II Mosque (Beyazıt Camii) is a 16th-century Ottoman imperial mosque in Beyazıt Square, Istanbul, near the ruins of the Forum of Theodosius. Built between 1500–1505 for Sultan Bayezid II, it is the oldest surviving imperial mosque complex in the city.

The architect is uncertain, but likely Yakubşah ibn Islamşah. The complex (külliye) included a medrese, hamam, imaret, caravanserai, and Sultan Bayezid II's tomb. The mosque suffered earthquake and fire damage over centuries, with major restorations by Mimar Sinan (1573), and from 2012–2020.

Its architecture features a central dome (17m diameter), semi-domes, and colonnaded courtyard with polychrome marble. Inspired by Hagia Sophia, its interior has a central dome, semi-domes, and a sultan's loge with repurposed Byzantine columns.

Nearby, the Bayezid II Hamam is now the Museum of Turkish Hamam Culture, and the former soup kitchen became the State Library of Istanbul in 1882.

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Founded: 1500-1505
Category: Religious sites in Turkey

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