Gül Mosque

Gül Mosque (Gül Camii, meaning 'Rose Mosque') in Istanbul, Turkey, is a former Byzantine church later converted by the Ottomans.

Scholars dispute its origins, with some linking it to the Nunnery of Saint Theodosia and others to the Monastery of Christ the Benefactor. The 15th-century traveler Stephan Gerlach identified it as Hagia Theodosia, but later research suggests it dates to the 12th-century Komnenian period and may have been the Monastery of Christos Euergetēs.

During the Byzantine era, the church was associated with St. Theodosia, a nun martyred in 729 for opposing Iconoclasm. Over time, she became a revered figure, and the church, originally dedicated to St. Euphemia, was later named after her. Built during Basil I’s reign, it was looted during the Fourth Crusade in 1204. After the Ottoman conquest in 1453, the church, adorned with roses at the time, was converted into Gül Mosque. A minaret was added during Selim II’s reign, and earthquakes caused significant damage, leading to restorations under Murad IV and Mahmud II.

The mosque has a Greek cross-plan with a high vaulted basement and five domes, the central one being an Ottoman addition. The exterior features the recessed-brick technique typical of Byzantine architecture, while the apse, galleries, and side chapels resemble those of the Pantokrator Monastery. The mihrab was placed in the former main apse. A small chamber inside is believed to house the tomb of Gül Baba, an Ottoman holy man, though it may have originally belonged to St. Theodosia.

Among Istanbul’s surviving Byzantine churches, Gül Mosque remains a significant example of cross-in-square architecture.

Address
Şerefiye Sokak No:24, Istanbul, Turkey

Established
12th century