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The New Mosque (Yeni Cami), originally named Valide Sultan Mosque, is an Ottoman imperial mosque in Istanbul’s Eminönü district. Built between 1597 and 1665, its construction was initiated by Safiye Sultan and later completed by Turhan Sultan. It stands at the southern end of the Galata Bridge, marking the transition from Istanbul’s historic core to Beyoğlu.
The mosque's construction faced delays due to political opposition and financial concerns. It was abandoned in 1603 and later damaged in the 1660 Great Fire. Turhan Sultan resumed the project, also commissioning the nearby Spice Bazaar. Completed in 1665, it was renamed the New Valide Sultan Mosque, later shortened to Yeni Cami.
Architecturally, the mosque features a 36-meter-high dome supported by four semi-domes, inspired by earlier designs of Mimar Sinan. The courtyard, flanked by colonnades, includes an ornamental ablution fountain. Inside, İznik tiles adorn the walls, and the dome rests on four massive piers. A royal lodge with a gilded screen connects to an imperial pavilion.
The mosque complex (külliye) once included a hospital, school, and palace. The Spice Bazaar, originally part of this complex, remains a major landmark. The adjacent mausoleum houses the tombs of Turhan Sultan, Mehmed IV, and five later sultans. The mosque undergoes ongoing restorations by the Turkish General Directorate of Foundations.
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.