Beyazit Mosque (Beyazit Camii), Istanbul
Located by the entrance to Istanbul's university, Beyazit Camii is of the oldest mosques in the city and the oldest surviving imperial mosque.
The Beyazit Camii was built between 1501 and 1506 using materials taken from Theodosius's Forum of Tauri, on top of which it was constructed.
Again, the architect of Beyazit Camii looked to the Ayasofya for inspiration, employing a central dome buttressed by semi-domes and a long nave with double arcades, although the mosque is half the size of the church.
The Beyazit Mosque also borrows elements from the Fatih Mosque, imitating the system of buttressing and the use of great columns alongside the dome.
Thanks to Sultan Beyazit II's patronage, the Ottomans found a style of their own, which served as a bridge to later classical Ottoman architecture. The sultan, who died in 1512, is buried at the back of the gardens.
Quick Facts
| Location: | Yeniçeriler Cad., across from the Beyazit tramway stop |
| Phone: | No phone |
| Hours: | Dawn-dusk |
| Cost: | Free |
Main source: Frommer's Turkey: From the Blue Mosque to the Blue Lagoon, 3rd ed. Photos of Beyazit Mosque, left to right: dere-street.com under Creative Commons; SirRichard at Virtual Tourist; mrclay2000 at Virtual Tourist.
