Ortakoy mosque
Ortaköy Mosque officially the Büyük Mecidiye Camii in Beşiktaş, Istanbul, Turkey, is situated at the waterside of the Ortaköy pier square, one of the most popular locations on the Bosphorus. The mosque can be viewed from the Bosphorus Cruise that is popular among tourists, to go from the Asian side of Istanbul to the European side on a ferry boat. Built in 1720, it was ruined during the Patrona Halil Uprising in 1731.[1] The current mosque, which was erected in its place, was ordered by the Ottoman sultan Abdülmecid and built between 1854 and 1856, on the ruins of the Cantemir Palace. Its architects were Armenian father and son Garabet Amira Balyan and Nigoğayos Balyan. The single dome of the mosque was originally built using bricks. However, the dome developed cracks throughout time and was ready to collapse, so a new dome was reconstructed using concrete.
In 1894, there was an earthquake that damaged the mosque, and it also suffered a minor fire in 1984. Thus, the structure has undergone a number of repair and restoration work in its time. The mosque was built in Neo-baroque style. In terms of the interior space, this mosque is modest in scale, though the inside is quite spacious with its wide, “high bay windows” which refract its reflection in water as well as daylight. Floral patterned frescoes adorn the inside of the singular dome, along with “niche-like” windows bordered by imitation curtains. Materials like marble were used to build the mihrab and minbar, pink mosaics were also used to decorate the Mihrab.
- Ortakoy mosque
- Location: Beşiktaş
- Country: Turkey
- Built : 1720 AD
