suleyman kirimtayif, converted byzantine churches in istanbul 2001

8/12/2019 Suleyman Kirimtayif, Converted Byzantine Churches in Istanbul 2001

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C O N V E R T E D B Y Z A N T I N EC H U R C H E S I N I S T A N B U L

T H E I R T R A N S F O R M A T I O N I N T OM O S Q U E S A N D M A S J I D S

S L E Y M A N K I R I M T A Y I F

fY A Y I N L A R I


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Converted ByzantineChurches in Istanbul

Their Transformation intoMosques and Masjids


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Sleyman Kirimtayif was born in Zonguldak in 1960 and received his education inIstanbul at Istanbul University, Boazii University and Istanbul Technical

University. He spent six years as a research assistant in the Department of History at

Boazii University. After earning his Ph. D. in the history of art at Istanbul

Technical University he worked for five years as an assistant professor in the

Department of Art History and Archaeology at anakkale Onsekiz Mart University.

He now resides in Istanbul.


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Sleyman Krmtayf

Converted ByzantineChurches in Istanbul

Their Transformation intoMosques and Masjids

Istanbul 2001


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Ege Yaynlan: 46

ISBN 975-807-046-0Copyright 2001 Ege Yaynlan, stanbul

Cover Design

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Production

Zero Prodksiyon Ltd. (212) 249 05 20

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Ege Yaynlan

Aslan Yata Sokak, No.35/2Cihangir 80060 stanbul - Trkiye

Tel - Fax: (0 212) 249 05 20 e.mail: [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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CONTENTS

Foreword

Map

1. THE CONVERSION OF CHURCHES 1

2. THE SURVIVING STRUCTURES 7

SULTANAHMET 7TheAyasofya Mosque 7The KkAyasofya Mosque 20

LALEL - VEZNECLER 25

TheKalenderhane Mosque 25The MollaGrani Mosque 28TheBodrum Mosque 32

KOCAMUSTAFAPAA 35The KocaMustafa PaaMosque 35The SancakdarHayreddin Masjid 41

TOPKAPI - AKSARAY 44

The Manastr Masjid 44TheTenari Isa Mosque 47

ZEYREK 51The Zeyrek Kilise Mosque 51The eyh.Sleyman Masjid 55

FATH - EDRNEKAPI 57The EskimaretMosque 57The Ahmed Paa Masjid 61The FethiyeMosque 63TheKefeliMasjid 68TheKasmAa Masjid 71The Kariye Mosque 74


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ALONG THEHAL(THEGOLDENHORN)78The Atik Mustafa PaaMosque 78

The Gl Mosque 82

3. STRUCTURES DESTROYED OR IN RUINS 89

EMBERLTA - SULTANAHMET - EMNN 89

The YldzDede Tekke 89TheAcemi AaMasjid 89The Gngrmez Masjid 91TheHamzaPaaMasjid 91

AKSARAY - LALEL - SARAHANE 91TheBalabanAaMasjid 91The Segbanba brahimAa Masjid 93The HaydarhaneMasjid 93

KOCAMUSTAFAPAA -YEDKULE - SLVRKAPI 94The Ese (sa)KapMasjid 94The EtyemezTekke Masjid 96The tmrahorlyasBeyMosque 99TheArabacBayezid Masjid 99

ZEYREK 100The Segbanba Ferhad Aa Masjid 100

FATH - KARAGMRK - DRAMAN 100Thee;yhMurad Masjid 100The Purkuyu (Perkuyu) Masjid 101TheSivasiTekkeMasjid 102The HocaHayreddin Masjid 102

ThehedaMasjid 102The OdalarMosque 103

ALONG THEHAL(THE GOLDEN HORN) 106The Toklubrahim Dede Masjid 106

The Sinan PaaMasjid 108Notes 111

Glossary 125Bibliography 127Index 137


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Dedicated toProf.AptuUah Kuran.


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Foreword

Certain Byzantine churches were transformed into mosques quite soon afterthe conquest of Constantinople. The Church ofSt.Sophiabecame the Great

Mosque, which also served educational purposes. A number of otherchurches were adopted to serve as the mosques of other educational centres.The conversion of still other churches into mosques continued at intervalsuntil the end of the seventeenth century, by which time only two Byzantinechurches still remained Christian: the Church of St. Irene and the Churchof St. Mary of the Mongols (Mouch liotissa).

This work considers the conversion of Byzantine sanctuaries intomosques from social, historical and architectural points of view, in otherwords, not only why the churches were converted into mosques, but alsowhat specific architectural alterations were undertaken by the Ottomans inthe process.

The book thus focuses on the Ottoman period of the structures ratherthan on the Byzantine. The monuments are presented in two principal categories, the first part dealing with those still preserved, and the second withthose either in ruins or no longer visible at all. Within these two main sections, the monuments and sites are treated geographically, i.e. accordingto location.

Although many of these buildings have been included in prior studies,such works may be categorized as tourist guides, topographical surveys,or architectural studies dealing with style and construction. To the best of myknowledge, this is the first work to examine in particular the conversion ofthe Byzantine churches by the Ottomans, taking into account the specificalterations and additions made.

Most grateful acknowledgement is due, first of all, to Professor AptullahKuran, who advised me in my research. Without his indispensable guidanceI could never have completed this work. My thanks go also to Mr. WilliamBarker and Mrs. Jean Efe for their assistance in editing the book, as well asto the art historians Dr. Feridun zgm and Mehmet Ozean, who areresponsible for most of the photography.


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1 Ayasofya Mosque2 Acemi Aa Masjid3 Kk Ayasofya Mosque4 Kalenderhane Mosque5 Molla Grani Mosque

6 Bodrum Mosque7 Zeyrek Kilise Mosque8 eyh Sleyman Masjid9 Eski maret Mosque

10 Gl Mosque11 Fethiye Mosque12 Ahmed Paa Masjid13 Kefeli Masjid14 Kasm Aa Masjid15 Odalar Mosque

16 Kariye Mosque17 Atik Mustafa Paa Mosque18 Fenarisa Mosque19 Manastr Masjid20 Koca Mustafa Paa Mosque21 Sancakdar Hayreddin Masjid22 mrahorlyasBey Mosque23 Ese (sa) Kap Masjid24 Toklu brahim Dede Masjid

A Golden GateB Topkap GateC Adrianople GateD Cibali Gate


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1

THE CONVERSION OF CHURCHES

It was 29 May 1453, when the Turks entered Constantinople through theland walls, and on the very next day Mehmed II strode into the Church ofSt. Sophia to proclaim it the Great Mosque of the city. It was customarypractice that prayer be held in the most impressive edifice of a newlyconquered community. Mehmed II proudly announced that the city wouldhenceforth be honoured as his capital.1Regarding himselfasthe emperor ofRome, he aimed at establishing a worldwide empire. For this reason hestrove throughout his reign to transform the ruined capital of the ByzantineEmpire into the centre of this World Empire.2 He re-established Istanbulaccording to the traditions of aTurco-Islamiccity.3

Without delay, preliminary measures -including a number of buildingprojects- were undertaken in preparation for the repopulation of thecity: repair of the fortification walls, the construction of a citadel and thebuilding of a palace. Then, in 1459, to promote the prosperity of the city,Mehmed II summoned his dignitaries and ordered each of them to establishan architectural complex within the city.4In the following years, not only thesultan and his Grand VizierMahmud Paathemselves, but other dignitariesas well assumed the responsibility of constructing complexes that wouldserve as the nuclei of new residential quarters.5

At his conquest of the city, Mehmed II found it greatly depopulated.6

Kritovoulos reports that the sultan's first concern was to repopulate themetropolis.7 Because most of the inhabitants had fled the city,8 persuasivemeasures were necessary: fugitives who returned within a specified time werepromised the right to reoccupy their houses and practice their own religion.9

The families of captives of the empire were settled along the shores of theHali(the Golden Horn).10They were provided with housing and exemptedfrom taxes for a given period.11 Many people from various parts of the


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empire were forcibly resettled in Istanbul. Kartran Sleyman Bey, as theprefectof the city,was specifically put in charge ofrepopulation.12 Mehmed

II issued firmans, decrees orderingtheresettlingofMuslims, Christians andJews from both Rumelia andAna tol ia .1 3 Deportation from other conqueredcities also helped to swell the population of the capital.14 The successivesultans continued Mehmed's policyof bringing newly conquered populacesto the capital city.15

The newcomers were settled into either existing or newly founded

neighbourhoods (mahalle), the latter developed by those who had madethemselves heroes in the conquest (often with the rank of segbanba,topubaorsancakdar). These honoured founders, whowere presented with

a home in the new quarter, would then provide a masjid or mosque tofunction as the public prayer hall - the core of the neighbourhood- an

edifice that served also as a public forum where the imam would makepublic announcements issued by the sultan or his viziers. This masjid ormosque would be built in the centre of the neighbourhood; if, however,

therewas a Byzantine edifice in a convenient location, it was only practical

to convert it for this purpose rather than constructing a newbuilding.

St. Sophia had the honour of being the first church converted into amosque. Mehmed IIestablished awaqf to support this new mosque, whichsoon began to serveas the educational centreof the city.aswell.

Immediately after the conquest, a few buildings -including St. Sophia-

were transformed for use byMuslims, and these were all looked afterby the

same waqf. The Church of St. Saviour Pantokratorwas used as a madrasauntil the completionof theSemaniye Madrasas ofMehmed II.Likewise, theComplex of the Church of St Saviour Pantepopteswas converted into an

Islamic institution called the Eski maret Medresesi. The Church ofAkataleptos was turned into a tekke for the kalenderi dervishes; hence it wascalled the Kalenderhane Mosque. Still another Byzantine construction wasconverted into the Gungormez Masjid.

Aside from Ayasofya, the only other outstanding church that wasconverted into a mosque supported by awaqf during the reign of Mehmed

II,was theChurch ofSt. Theodore. Ittook thename ofMolla Grani, tutor

to Mehmed II, and the founder of its waqf.Besides the above-mentioned churches, a number of smaller Byzantine

buildings were adapted for Islamic purposes during this same period. Eachof these was made into a masjid by someone who had played a significant


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role in the siege of Constantinople and had thus been put in charge ofencouraging the repopulation of the district in which he had been given ahouse.16 The Balaban Aa Masjid, the Etyemez Tefefce Masjid, the HocaHayreddin Masjid, the Kasm Aa Masjid, the Manastr (or Mustafa avu)Masjid, the Sancakdar Hayreddin Masjid, the eyK Sleyman Masjid, theToklu Dede Masjid, and the Yldz Dede Tekke Masjid were among thebuildings converted by such persons.

The reign of Bayezid II differed somewhat from that of Mehmed II inrespect to the conversion of Byzantine buildings. Probably due to theincreased population of the capital17 and the existence of newly established

mahalles,each with its own masjid or mosque, it was now generally the more

impressive Byzantine churches that were converted by viziers or otherdignitaries during the reign of Bayezid II. These include the following: theAtik Mustafa PaaMosque, the Gl Mosque, the lmrahor IlyasBeyMosque,the KariyeMosque, the KocaMustafa PaaMosque, and the Kk AyasofyaMosque.

In addition, die ruins of the Church of Chalcoprateia were rebuilt as theAcemi Aa Masjid by Lala Hayreddin, and the Sivasi Tekke Masjid wasconverted to die Islamic faith by Bayezid II himself.

In the succeeding periods the conversions slowed down even more, withthe formation of new mahalles coming almost to a standstill.18 Nevertheless,a few buildings underwent conversion because they were now surrounded bya mainly Turkish population. The Ese(sa)Kap Masjid and the SinanPaaMasjid, both converted under Sleyman I, are examples of such buildings.By the reign of Murad III, the districts where the Church of Pammakaristos(which became the Fethrye Mosque) and the Church of St. John the Baptistin TruUo stood had become so predominandy Muslim that their conversionwas inevitable.

In the reign of Murad IV, two more churches underwent conversion forsimilar reasons. The first of these was the Church of the Monastery of

Manuel, which became the Kefeli Mosque. After the conquest it had servedfor some time as the church of Christians brought from Ca//a (Kefe).19 Thesecond is the Odalar Mosque. The heda Masjid, whose founder died in1043/1633-34, was also probably converted in this period.

In the times following the reign of Murad IV the practice of convertingByzantine structures into mosques and masjids became rare. One exampleof such is Hamza Paa Masjid that was converted by the Hamza Paa whowas appointed Governor of Egypt in 1094/1682-83.


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There are, of course a certain number of buildings for which the date of

conversion is unknown. Among these are the Purkuyu Masjid, the eyhMurad Masjid, and the Segbanba Ferhad Aa Masjid, all of which havedisappeared. It would seem likely, however, that the Segbanba Ferhad Aa

Masjid belongs to the period of Mehmed II, for it was at that timesegban-bas were given the responsibility of encouraging population.Among the other buildings with uncertain dates for conversion is the

Arabac Bayezid Masjid, which might well become an Islamic bui ld ingwithin the reign of Selim I. This is suggested because the wages of thepersonnel were supplied by the waqf of the Sultan Selim Mosque. We mayguess that another building, the Haydarhane Masjid might well have becomea masjid around the sixteenth century because it was so recorded in theIstanbul Vakflar Tahrir Defteri of 953/1546.

To sum up, there were three principal reasons to convert Byzantine

buildings into use for the Faith of Islam. The first of these was the require

ment of certain buildings to serve as mosques (including the Great Mosque),

educational centres, tekkes, and the like. The second was the establishmentof Muslim mahalles in which Byzantine churches or chapels often stoodready-made and easily adaptable, and the third reason was the diminishing

number of Christians in the neighbourhoods where the churches were

situated as the Muslim population grew. Eventually riearly all the surviving

Byzantine churches were transformed into masjids or mosques.

One of the churches never been appropriated for the use by the Muslims

is the Church of St. Mary of the Mongols (Mouchliotissa), which remainedin the possession of the Orthodox Church because the Fener quarter inwhich it stood was left to the Greeks following the conquest.

A second church that was never transformed into a mosque was that of

St. Irene. This may have been because of its location only some decametresfrom the Great Mosque of Ayasofya; a mosque here must have seemedunnecessary. Furthermore, after the completion of Saray-iCedid (TopkapiSaray), the edifice of St. Irene was isolated within the first courtyard.

Among the most characteristic architectural elements added or changed

in the course of converting Byzantine churches or chapels into mosques,

perhaps the principal feature was the addition of a minaret. With very fewexceptions20a minaret was erected near the buildings, generally near the west

corner of the main structure. The second basic alteration was the arrange

ment of a mihrab in the interior. To create the mihrab, the main apse of a


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building was often used; otherwise a niche would be carved into the wall.

Any Byzantine mosaics or frescoes existing on the interior had to be obliterated; to accomplish this, the walls were generally simply plastered over and

covered in whitewash.

More extensive Turkish alteration was usually limited to repairing

damages the buildings suffered in earthquakes or fire. Such interventions

most often consisted of alteration, repair, or replacement of roofs and

domes; supporting columns were often replaced with Turkish piers or

arches.21

Other typical alterations included fenestration; unwanted windows

and doors would be walled up, and upon occasion walls were pierced to

open new windows. The outer narthexes of a few churches, their original

character lost or destroyed, were replaced with Turkish porticos. In general,

however, repairs and restoration on the narthex of the churches and chapels

tended to follow the original style.

Thus in spite of alterations for Islamic use, the churches on the whole

retained their original plans and forms. Their basic structure remained that

of a church although they now functioned as a Muslim place of prayer.

Thirty-nine converted Byzantine churches and chapels have been

included in the following chapters. Of these, sixteen were converted during

the reign of Mehmed II, ten in that of Bayezid II, three each in those of

Selim I and Sleyman I, two in that of Murad III, and three in that of

Murad IV.

Needless to say, the decision to convert the structures came in response

to the rapid increase of the city's Islamic population and the establishment

of new mahalles. Each of these newly founded neighbourhoods would besupplied with a mosque to be used both for religious practice and public

assembly.

By the end of the reign of Bayezid II, the formation of new mahalles had

almost come to an end, and in the succeeding periods the conversion of

buildings slowed down. Conversion now occurred only when a church

became surrounded by a Muslim population. Likewise, when a church had

fallen into poor condition and was in need of repair, it would be turned into

a mosque so that it might survive for generations to come. The basic reason

for the survival of most of these structures is, in fact, that they were given a

new function which assured their being kept in good repair.


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2

THE SURVIVING STRUCTURES

SULTANAHMET

TheAyasofyaMosqueTheChurchof St.SophiaToday's Ayasofya Museum, or the former St. Sophia, is the construction of

Justinian, which was preceded by two earlier buildings. The first church was

begun in the reign of Constantine the Great (324-337) and completed by

1. The Ayasofya Mosque. A lithograph (Paspates).


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2. The Ayasofya Mosque. Plan (Mller-Wiener).


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Constantius (337-361). This first edifice was set on fire during the banishment of St. John Chrysostom, then patriarch, in 404. However, the rededica-tion of the second church took place in 4 15 , under Theodosius II (408-450).This second church was also set alight, this time in the h ika riot of 532.

No description of either of thepre-Justinianic churches has survived. It isprobable that both were simple basilicas.

Justinian's church, designed by the architects Anthemius of Tralles and

Isidore of Miletus, was dedicated in 537, but part of the dome collapsed in

557 following an earthquake. The dome was replaced, strengthened, and

given height. Isidore the younger was called upon for these improvements.

In the year 562 the doors of the church were opened once more.

Justinian's building is a variation on a domed basilica. The general plan

of the building is a rectangle divided into a large central nave and two side

aisles. The central nave is covered by a colossal dome supported on the east

and west by half-domes.1

3. The Ayasofya Mosque. The interior with the dome.


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Considerable damage has been done to this building by the several

earthquakes it has survived.2 In addition to its collapse in 557, the dome

partially caved in again in 989, and Trdat, an Armenian architect, was given

responsibility for its restoration. In 1346 another earthquake severely

damaged the dome, and this time it was restored by Astras and the Italian

Giovanni Peralta. The present dome thus represents these three periods of

reconstruction; that is to say, nothing remains of the original dome.

The first regular restoration of the church was undertaken in the second

half of the ninth century under Basil I (867-886). Some time in the

succeeding periods the four flying buttresses along the west facade were

erected.3 In 1327, after the Latin occupation, in the reign ofAndronicus IIPalaeologus(1282-1328), major repair and reinforcement were carried outthroughout the church. The principal work done at this stage was the con

struction of new buttresses.

The church of St. Sophia was converted into a mosque soon after the con

quest of Constantinople. This followed the tradition of offering prayers in

most significant building suitable immediately after the capture of a town.

The event is related by Ayvansarayi.

4. The Ayasofya Mosque. A general view.


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"Sultan Mehmed, the Father of the conquest, after conquering thisHouse of Arts (Istanbul) had it (the church of St. Sophia) cleanedwithin and without, added aminbar and performed his first prayersthere on Friday".

4

First of all after its transformation, Mehmed II established a waqf for the

bui ld ing .1 In succeeding years new waqfs were founded so that eventuallyAyasofya was assured a handsome income which helped it resist the passage

of time.6

What makes the monument an Islamic building are additions to the

interior and exterior from all periods of the Ottoman Empire.

A marble mihrab was probably erected between 892/1486 and8 9 3 / 1 4 8 7 , and the present mihrab must date to the sixteenth century.8 Indifferent periods two hnkar mahfils were built in the mosque. As we see

from the tiles, the old mahfil dates from the sixteenth century, while the new

one was built by the Fossati brothers during their extensive repairs in the

nineteenth century. Ayvansarayi speaks of a number of mahfils built by

different sultans.9 Murad III constructed four marble mahfils, one of which

5. The Ayasofya Mosque. Tile decoration beside the mihrab.


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was reserved for the muezzins. Ahmed III built another in 1 1 1 8 / 1 7 0 6 - 7 , andMahmud I still another. The second important addition made by MahmudI is the library which was added between two of large buttresses on the southin 1 1 5 2 / 1 7 3 9 - 4 0 . In the interior today one sees two large marble vesselsbrought from Pergamum by Muraci III and a stone minbar commissionedbyMurad IV, aswell as the great policandelions hung from the dome by theFossati brothers in 1266/1849 to replace the globular oil lamp used to lightthe interior during the reign of Ahmed III.

All the windows with stained glass-decoration are Turkish. The old

hnkar mahfili, the interior of the library and the wall of the mihrab arecovered with tiles, mostly from Iznik. Another significant feature of theinterior are the eight large circular plaques with inscriptions, the work of

Kazasker Mustafa Izzed Efendi, installed during the 1266/1849 restoration;these replaced earlier plaques produced by Teknecizade brahim Efendi in1054/1644-45.

6. The Ayasofya Mosque.A minaret.


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7. The Ayasofya Mosque. The foundations of the madrasa.

Of the four minarets, that at the southeast represents an original

construction of Mehmed II.10 Although it is the oldest surviving, it does not

appear to have been the first erected.11

The call to prayer atAyasofya withina few days of the fall of the city is said to have been made from a wooden

tower12 temporarily employed pending completion of a taller minaret on diesouth turret of the west window. 13 This first minaret was then removed

by order ofSelim II in 9 8 1 / 1 5 7 3 . 1 4 The northeast minaret was then erectedby Bayezid II, and that at the southwest corner was begun in the reign of

Selim II, but-unfinished at his death in 982/1574-completed by Murad IIIon his accession to the throne. The latter also had the architect Sinan design

another minaret at the northwest corner.

Soon after the conquest and the conversion of St. Sophia into a mosque,Mehmed II built the first madrasa in Istanbul just to the north of the narthexof the former church. 1^ Although it was closed at the completion of the


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Semaniye Madrasas of the Fatih Complex in 875/1471, it was reopenedunder Bayezid II,16 who established a waqf for the madrasa17 and added a

second story.

Other structures of significance outside the main building are the sultans'tombs to the south of the great edifice. The first tomb was erected by

Sinan shortly after the death of Selim II. The second imperial tomb, that ofMurad III, was built by the architect Davud in 1008/1599. The third large

one, that of Mehmed III, was the work of the architect Dalg Ahmed, whocompleted it in 1 0 1 7 / 1 6 0 8 . Alongside that of Murad III, there is also thesmaller octagonal tomb of the princes. After 1017/1608 no more tombs

were built, but the nearby baptistery was converted into a tomb for Mustafa

I. Sultan Ibrahim was also buried in this structure.18

8. The Ayasofya Mosque.The tomb of the princes.


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9. The Ayasofya

Mosque.

The tomb of

Muraci III.

10. The Ayasofya Mosque. The tomb of Selim II.


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11. The Ayasofya Mosque.The tomb of Mehmed III.

Many additions were made in the reign of Mahmud I. The imaret,the primary school, the adrvan, and the library all date to that period.The two sebilsin the courtyard ofAyasofya were then erected, the first in theseventeenth century by Sultan Ibrahim and the second in the eighteenthcentury. Another later building, built in the reign of Sultan Ahdlmecid, is

the muvakkithane}9Significant reinforcement and repairs were also carried out during the

Ottoman period. In 981/1573 the entire building underwent a thoroughrenovation, for various buttresses were in need of repair,-0 Sinan was asked

to do everything necessary tor the security of the bui lding.2 1In 1264/1847 another extensive restoration was undertaken under the

supervision ot the Fossati brothers. Between these two major phases therewere various minor repairs and consolidations both within and without the


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12. The Ayasofya Mosque. The imaret.

I 3. The Ayasotya Mosque. The adrvan


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14. The Ayasofya Mosque. The primary school.

15. The Ayasofya Mosque. The muvakkithar


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mosque. Official records show that in the seventeenth century the domeswere sheathed in lead.

During the reign of Ahmed II the walls were re-plastered. The whole of

the building then underwent repairs again in the reign of Mahmud I, andMahmud II then spent 800 keseson repairing of the monument .Of all these interventions, the most extensive work was the restoration of

the Fossati brothers, which continued from 1264/1847 to 1266/1849.During these years, "the portions of the building that looked most threaten

ing were reconstructed and the lead roofs were repaired. The dome was

relieved of four heavy buttress arches, whose function was taken by a double

cincture of iron around its base. Thirteen columns of the gynaeceum, whichwere inclining under the thrust of the great arches that support the dome,

were put straight again".22

The exterior walls of the mosque, after repair, were also re-plastered, and

the height of brick minaret increased to conform with the others.

Thus in every period of the empire the mosque underwent at least minor

repair. In November of 1934 , then, the Ministry of Education, acting on theproposal of Atatrk, converted the monument into a museum.23

16. The Ayasofya Mosque. A gallery.


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The Kk Ayasofya MosqueThe Church of Ss. Sergius and Bacchus

This building, siaiated near the sea walls along the Sea of Marmara at

Kadrga, not far from the railway, is known as the Kk Ayasofya Mosquedue to its likeness to the Ayasofya Mosque.24 The sanctuary, as a church,was certainly the work of the Emperor Justinian the Great (527-565), who

originally dedicated it to the soldier saints Sergius and Bacchus.2: > Manyscholars agree on the year 527 for the date of foundation of the edifice.

Similarly the year 536 has been accepted by some as the date for the

completion. The church was a sanctuary of Monophysite monks.26 As for

the plan, the building is an octagon roofed with a dome and enclosed by a

rectangle that includes a narthex along the side of the entrance and galleriesin the interior.27

1 7. The Kk Ayasofya Mosque. A lithograph (Paspates).


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1 8. The Kk Ayasofya Mosque from the west.

19. The Kk Ayasofya Mosque. Plan of the site (Ml ler-Wiener).


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20. The Kk Ayasofya Mosque. The interior with the dc

21 . The Kk Ayasofya Mosque. The tomb of Hseyin Efendi


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The church was converted into a mosque by Hseyin Efendi, the headeunuch in the harem of Bayezid II, who is buried in a tomb within thecourtyard of the complex.28

Ayvansarayi states that around the mosque, a tekke with thirty-sixchambers was founded, and that the Grand Vizier Ahmed Paa, establisheda adrvan and a school,29 and that Amine Hatun built a m a d r a s a .3 0 Atpresent one can see only twenty-eight cells of this last forming a 'U' just

opposite the structure of the mosque.

In the Istanbul Vakflar Tahrir Defteri there is indeed record of a waqfestablished by Hseyin Efendi? 1 This fund, which included the KkAyasofya Mosque itself, was quite rich.

The Turkish features in the building include a portico stretching the

length of the narthex and the minaret at the south.3 2 All the windows in thestructure were altered, and the dome sheathed in lead.33

The Kk Ayasofya Mosque from the north.


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The mosque was damaged by earthquakes in 1648 and 1 7 6 3 .3 4 In 1648plaster fell from the interior of the dome, and windows along the north andsouth were broken. Following the quake ot 1 763 the architect Ahmed Aawas put in charge of restorat ion,3 l and repair work was done again in1 2 4 7 / 1 8 3 1 . The railway, built in the 1860s , now separates the mosque fromthe madrasa.'6

The mahalle which grew up around the mosque still exists today, and themosque remains in use.

23. The Kk Ayasofya Mosque. The interior.


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LALEL - VEZNECLER

TheKalenderplneMosqueThe Church ofAkataleptos (Church ofDiaconissa)

This mosque, which is still in use, stands near the Aqueduct of Valens in

ehzadeba. It has recently been identified as the Church of St. SaviourAkataleptos.3' According to Striker and Kuban, it cannot be dated earlierthan the end of the twelfth century.1 8 The church belongs to the domed-crosstype with barrel vaults over the arms and a dome in the centre.39

After the conquest, the church was taken over for the Faith of Islam

by Mehmed II .40 The waqfiyya of the sultan indicates that this buildingfunctioned as a mevlevihane for ceremonies to be held by dervishes called'kalenderi' on Fridays; and that it was used as a soup kitchen as well. 41

However, in the official accounts of the Ayasofya Mosque (dated from893/1489 to 895/1491) it was shown as a madrasa called Kalenderhane .42Then, as Ayverdi states, it was turned into a madrasa, with the personnel's

expenses supplied by the waqf of the Ayasofya Mosque.

24. The Kalenderplne Mosque. A lithograph (Paspates).


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25. The Kalenderhane Mosque. A general view.

26 . The Kalenderhane Mosque. Plan (Kuban and Striker).


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Ayvansarayi informs us that around the mosque there were a madrasa

and other pious foundat ions .4 3 This indicates that in the eighteenth century,in which Ayvansarayi lived, the building was not only used as a mosque, but

that a madrasa had been erected in the neighbourhood.

44

Ayvansarayi also states that Beir Aa repaired the mosque, enlarged itswaqf and built a mahfil for the sultan in its interior.43 Mustafa Efendi, arpaemini is said to have founded a school near the gate of the mosque. 46According to an inscription dating from 1271/1854-55 the mosque burnt atthis time and remained in a state of disrepair until it was restored by HacKadri Efendi.47

The building displays Turkish interventions. The present dome isa Turkish c o n s t r u c t i o n ,4 b the original eastern wall has been replaced bya Turkish wall, and at the south corner a mihrab has been installed.The northern and southern walls of the building have been pierced bywindows .4 9

A mahalle grew up around the mosque.

27. The Kalenderhane Mosque.The interior with the dome, the eastern part

and the mih rab .28. The Kalenderhane Mosque.

The interior.The northern part.


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28

The Molla Grani Mosque, or the Vefa Kilise Mosque

The Church of St. Theodore

This building stands in Vefa. Its original name has not been securelyestablished, but according to Gyllius it is the Church of St. Theodo re . 1 Theprincipal strucaire was built in the eleventh or early twelfth century; to thisan outer narthex was added sometime in the Palaeologan period.'2 The

original structure was erected on the four-column p l an 3 and displays a verytine fourteenth-century facade, incorporating sixth-century columns and

capitals.

The conversion took place during the reign of Mehmed II; it was MollaGrani, sheikhulislam, who transformed the church into a mo sque . 5 4 Awaqf founded in 889/1484 by Grani and signed byMolla Ali binYusuf-l-Fenari, provided for the upkeep of this structure with income from a groupof buildings in the mahalle of eyh Vefa."

29. The Molla Grani Mosque. A lithograph (Paspates).


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30. The Molla Grani Mosque.Plan and longitudinal sectionVan Millingen).

31 . The Molla Grani Mosque seen troni the exonarthex.


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32. The Molla Grani Mosquefrom the east. The apses.

The Molla Grani Mosque.The interior. The nave, the domeand the mihrab.


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During the transformation into Islamic use a minaret built of brickwas added to the m o s q u e ,5 6 the windows in the northern and southernwalls were bricked up as well, probably in the same period. In the interior,

according to Ayvansarayi, a minbar was erected by Abdurrahman Efendi, sonof Eminzade Hseyin Aa.37A neighbourhood once surrounded the mosque,58 which is still in use at

present.

34. The Molla Grani Mosque. The interior of one of the domes in the exonarthex.


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The Bodrum Mosque, or the Mesih Al i PaaMosque

The Church of Myrelaion59This is a small mosque in Laleli identified as a church which had been asso

ciated with the Convent of Myrelaion.60

Erected between 920 and 922, thismonastic church had been built by Romanus I Lecapenus (920-944) just

beside his palace.61 The Byzantine construction was a four-column church.62

(Although the remains of the underlying foundations are similar in plan, it

may not have been a sacred edifice.) Whatever its use, it very pragmatically

raised the building to the level of the neighbouring palace.63 We do know

that it was used as a burial chapel for Romanus, his wife Theodora, and

other members of the imperial family.64

35. The Bodrum Mosque. A lithograph Paspates).


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33

Not much is known of its history during Ottoman times. It was

converted into a mosque by the governor of Egypt MesiK Ali Paa,6^ whowas also responsible for establishing a waqf in 9 0 7 / 1 5 0 1 - 2 . 6 6 After itsconversion, the name bodrum (cellar) was given to it because of itssubstructure.6' The masjid was surrounded by its own neighbourhood, ormahalle.68

Ottoman interventions to the building were very minor, the changes

made were, in fact due more to its condition, which necessitated a series of

repairs, than to the desire to turn it into a mosque. To strengthen the

building, the columns upon which the dome rose were replaced by Turkish

piers. Windows were opened in the central and northern apses, and a few

others walled up. A minaret was erected at the south corner of the facade.

The mosque was twice ravaged by fire, first in 1199/1784 and again1331/1912, 69 after which it remained in ruins for some time. It has beenrecently restored and is again in use.' 0

36. The Bodrum Mosque. Plan and section

(Mller-Wiener).


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37. The Bodrum Mosque. The interior with the dome.


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KOCAMUSTAFAPAATheKocaMustafa Paa,or theSnbl EfendiMosqueThe Church of St. Andrew in Krisei

The KocaMustafa Paa Mosque, also known as the Snbl Efendi Mosque,

was the well-known church of a Byzantine monastery in Kocamustafapaa.According to Mamhoury, it was originally constructed by Arcadia, a sister of

the Emperor Theodosius II (408-450), and became part of a convent

dedicated, ca. 767, to St. Andrew of Crete, martyred during the reign of

Constantine V (741-775). (1 The church, which-along with the monastery ingeneral-had been severely damaged during the Iconoclastic period, was

restored by Basil I (867-886), only to suffer destruction again during theLatin occupation. During the Palaeologanperiod Theodora, the niece of theEmperor Michael VIII Palaeologus (1260-1282), is said to have embellishedthe monastery and enlarged the church . 72

The church was converted into a mosque by Koca Mustafa Paa, grand

vizier of Bayezid II, in 8 9 5 / 1 4 8 6 ; 7 3 hence its name.'4 The same vizier alsoestablished a waqf for the mosque.75

38. The Koca Mustafa Paa Mosque. A lithograph (Paspates).


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36

The conversion was followed by the establishment of a tekke at the site,which occasioned the establishment of a madrasa, a zaviye, a school, and animaret; elebi Muhammed Cemaleddin was first appointed s h e i k h /6 andupon his death Yusuf Snbl Sinaneddin took over this duty. Ayvansarayilists the successive sheikhs of the tekke.77

The mosque itself was gradually incorporated into a building complex.Ekmekcizade Ahmed Paa erected a building immediately adjacent, andVeliyuddin Efendi constructed a muvakkithane nearby. In 1150/1750 HacBeir Aa presented a fountain, and in 1271/1854 the Grand Vizier RfatPaa erected a sebil. A second sebil was erected by Hac Emine Hanm. A

madrasa outside the courtyard was founded by Nuh Efendi. In addition tothese structures, a number of tombs were built for the sheikhs, and within

the courtyard many others associated with the complex were eventually

buried.78

The s i te gradually

became a religious centre

high in public esteem.

The complex eventuallyformed the core of a

large residential area

consisting of some thirty

mahalles on the SeventhHill of Istanbul.79

39. The Koca Mustafa PaaMosque from the east.


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40. The Koca Mustafa Paa Mosque. The tomb of Snbl Sinaneddin Efendi.

4 1 . The KocaMustafa Paa

Mosque. Plan of thesite (Mller-Wiener).


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38

The church itself is an example of an edifice that lost nearly all of its

original character during its conversion into a mosque. Originally a church

built on an ambulatory plan, as a mosque it was reoriented by ninety degrees

so that the Muslim worshippers would face toward Mecca. The south aislewas therefore transformed into amihrab; its original barrel vault was replaced

by a Turkish half-dome, and the north aisle, on the same axis, received the

same treatment. At the same time the original Byzantine dome was replaced

by a Turkish one. To support the new central dome and the half-domes

flanking it, Turkish arches were thrown diagonally across the aisles on either

side. The central apse beyond the b ema , although not been altered in theinterior, was filled in with a Turkish wall on the exterior. The lateral apse to

the left was altered and roofed with a Turkish dome. Another dome wasbuilt over the bay at the north of the inner narthex.80

The portico with five bays along the north wall of the building is also of

Turkish construction. The exterior has been entirely refaced by the Turks so

that no Byzantine masonry whatsoever is visible from the outside today. 81

The mosque is still in use at present.

42. The Koca Mustafa Paa Mosque.The interior from the southeast.


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39

43 . The Koca

Mustafa Paa

Mosque. The interior

with the dome.

44. The Koca

Mustafa Paa

Mosque.

The interior. The

ambulatory.

45. The KocaMustafa Paa

Mosque.

The portico.


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40

:V:..46. The Koca Mustafa

Paa Mosque.The madrasa.

47. The Koca Mustafa Paa Mosque.

The tomb ofSafiye Sultan.


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41

The Sancakdar Hayreddin MasjidThe Monastery of Gastria

This building stands in Kocamustafapaa, only a short distance north of theSulu Manastr. It has been traditionally identified with the Monastery ofGastria,82 but there is no firm archaeological evidence to support this

identification. Although there have been various at tempts8 3 to establish thedate of construction, further saidy of the monument is needed. The plan ofthe church is relatively simple: a Greek cross inscribed within octagonal

walls.84

From the conquest onwards the history of the edifice is reasonably well

known. During the reign of Mehmed II Sancakdar Hayreddin convertedit into a masjid and established a waqf for it.85 At a later date, towards theend of the eighteenth century, the Grand Vizier Mustafa Paa donated aminbar.86

48. The Sancaktar Masjid. A lithograph (Paspates).


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According to the plan drawn by Van Millingen, the apsidal part is of

Turkish construction.87 A minaret was also erected. The building continued

in use as a mosque until 1 3 12 /1894 , when it was ravaged by an earthquake.Today the Sancakdar Hayreddin Masjid has been newly restored andis used as a prayer hall by the residents of the neighbourhood, which has

survived to the present.

49. The Sancaktar

Hayreddin Masjid from the

east.

50. The

Sancaktar

Hayreddin

Masjid.

The exterior.


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52. The Sancaktar Hayreddin Masjid. The interior.

51 . The SancaktarHayreddin Masjid.

Plan (Van Millingen).


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J

TOPKAPI -AKSARAY

The Manastr Masjid

Located in Topkapi, this masjid is presently used by the personnel of theJ.E.T.T. (Istanbul Electricity, Tramcar and Tunnel Organisation). ItsTurkish name, that is to say, 'Manastr' (monastery) indicates that in

Byzantine times it was a part of a monastery, very probably of the Monasteryof Kyra Martha.88 As a thirteenth century construction, it is a small oblonghall divided into two unequal components which would have served as a

narthex and a nave (with three bays).89

53. The Manastr Masjid.Section and plan(Mller-Wiener).


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It was Mustafa avu, a subject of Mehmed II, who turned the buildinginto a masjid,90 the expenses of which were provided by a waqf of thesultan.91

At the time of the conversion no minaret was added, but during

subsequent repairs, the structure was provided with a wooden minaret

(which has not survived).92 The roof of the building is of Turkish

construction.

In the course of conversion, the central apse was pierced by a window,

and the south apse filled and converted into a mihrab.

In the neighbourhood that surrounded the mosque were a fountain and

a school both built by Ali Aa.93The mahalle9 that once accompanied the mosque was absorbed into the

Ereli Mahalle in 1934.

54. The Manastr Masjid. A general view.


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55. The Manastr Masjid. The southern wall of the building.

56. The Manastr Masjid. A lithograph (Paspates).


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The Fenari sa MosqueThe Church of Constantine Lips (Church of St. MaryPanachrantos)

This complex stands on Vatan Boulevard. It was a group of churches

attached to the Monastery of Lips, dedicated to the Mother of God,Panachrantos (All-Immaculate).91 It consists of two churches side by side, andan outer narthex common to both. The north church is of the four-column

type while the south one is of the ambulatory type.96 Unique are the four

diminutive chapels on the roof, grouped round the main dome. The north

church was built by Constantine Lips,a dignitary at the court of Leo IV (886-912) in 907. After the Latin occupation the Empress Theodora, the consortof Michael VIII Palaeologus(1260-1282), restored the building and addedthe south church, which was to serve as a mausoleum for herself and herfamily.9 ' The new church was dedicated to St. John the Baptist.98 At a laterperiod of the PalaeologanDynasty, an outer narthex was added, runningalong the west and south walls of the two churches.

57. The Fenari isa Mosque. A lithograph (Paspates).


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58. The Fenari isa Mosque. Ground plan and the transverse section through both churches(Mamboury).


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59. The Fenari isa Mosque.The interior of the north building with the

nave and the Turkish arches.

It is evident that after the conquest the complex of these two churches

remained for sometime in the hands of Christians." It was converted into a

mosque by Ali Efendi of the Fenari family, who died in 902/1496-97.10 In1043/1633-34 a terrible fire destroyed nearly half of the city. Three years

later, in 1046/1636-37 the Grand Vizier Bayram Paa restored the mosque,

makin radical architectural alterations. The columns in the naves werereplaced with pointed arches, and the tour principal columnar supports in

the northern structure were also transformed into rand pointed arches,

Turkish in style, which span the entire interior space. The decoration was

stripped from the walls, and both domes were constructed anew. 101 Certain

60. The Fenari isa Mosque.The interior of the south building with the

nave and the mihrab.


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windows were inserted, and a minaret erected at the southwestern corner of

the outer nar thex . 102The grand vizier also furnished amihrab and minbar.103By the end of the seventeenth century, then, the chambers of the complex

had been turned into a tekke by the imam Sheikh Isa el- Mahvi; it wasrenamed the Fenari Isa Mosque.104 In 1247/1831-32 the mosque againunderwent repairs, but was subsequently devastated by fire in 1917 . 1ClRestoration of the ruins was begun by the Ministry of Mosques in 1960, and

completed with the assistance of the Byzantine Institute. The complex

presently functions as a mosque.

The mosque was surrounded by its own mahalle?06

61 . The Fenari isa Mosque. The interior of the north building with the domeand the Turkish arches.


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ZEYREK

The Zeyrek Kilise Mosque

The Church of St.Saviour Pantokrator

Consisting of two churches with a burial chapel between them, this buildingnow called the Zeyrek Kilise Mosque stands in Zeyrek. It was part of a

monastery famous in the Middle Byzantine period. Known as St. Saviour

Pantokrator (Christ the Almighty), the structure was built between 1120 and1136 . Originally comprised of a hospital and a hospice for elderly men,it also housed the graves of the omnenen family. The three buildingscommunicate with one another through openings in their common

walls. The south church, the oldest, is a simple four-column plan with two

narthexes. The north church was constructed on a similar plan, while thecentral chamber is an oblong hall featuring two d ome s . 1 0

Soon after the Ottoman conquest the complex was entirely transformed

and dedicated to the Faith of Islam by Mehmed II.10 8 At first it served as a

madrasa with the churches used as the mosque.10 9 Molla Zeyrek Efendi was

62. The Zeyrek Kilise Mosque. A lithograph (Paspates).


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63. The Zeyrek Kilise

Mosque. Plan of the site

(Mller-Wiener).

64. The Zeyrek Kilise Mosque. A general view.


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65. The Zeyrek KiliseMosque. The interior of the

south building.

appointed as the first mderris of the madrasa; hence the Turkish name ofthe edifice.110 After the completion of the Semaniye Madrasas in the buildingcomplex of Mehmed II, die Madrasa of Zeyrek passed out of existence, butthe mosque continued to function.111

In Turkish hands the complex underwent minor alterations and

additions. First ofall, aminbar and amihrabwere added (both of which havebeen renewed in succeeding periods). A hnkar mahfili was built into themosque. To reinforce the structure of the mosque, the columns supporting

the main domes both in the north and south structures were replaced by

Turkish piers. The dome on the north church has undergone many Turkish

alterations. The original walls and vaulting were plastered over.11-

A mahalle grew up around the mos que .1n ZenbllAli Efendi, sheikhulis-lam, built a school for the neighbourhood.11 4 In 1934 the mahalle wasmerged into the Sinan Aa Mahalle.us


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66. The Zeyrek Kilise Mosque. The interior of the north building.


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The eyh Sleyman MasjidThis building stands about 150 meters southwest of the Zeyrek KiliseMosque. Its Byzantine history remains vague. Neither its identity nor its

function is known.116 Even though it is considered aPalaeologanstructure bymany, the masonry indicates that it should stem from an earlier Byzantine

period.117 The superstructure is octagonal although the ground plan forms asquare. The building was turned into a masjid by eyh Sleyman, a sheikhin the reign of Mehmed II;118 hence the Turkish name of the building.Although Ayvansarayi states that it had no mahalle of its own,11 9 there is arecord of a mahalle known as that of eyh Sleyman120 in the Istanbul

Vakflar Tahrir Defteri of 953/1546. Thus, the mahalle must have beendissolved before the lifetime of Ayvansarayi.

In Turkish times the building appears to have undergone various

renovation, most particularly the doors and windows. Ayvansarayi reports

that it was destroyed by the fire of Cibali 121 and thereafter rebuilt by

Mustafa III, who also provided the building with a minbar. 12 2 Just opposite

the building a madrasa was erected between 1193/1779 and 1195/1 7 8 1 .123

67. The eyh Sleyman Masjid. A lithograph (Paspates).


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, ,

68. The eyh

Sleyman Masjid

from the west.

69. The eyh Sleyman Masjid. Plan (Mathews).


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srFATH - EDRNEKAPI

TheEski maret MosqueThe Church of St.Saviour Pantepoptes

This building, situated only a few meters west of the Zeyrek Kilise Mosque,has been identified with the church of St. Saviour Pantepoptes (Christ, theAll-Seeing). The founder was Anna Dalassena, mother of Alexius IComnenus (1081-1118). The edifice was built on the four-column plan. 124

Not long after the conquest the church was converted into a mosque; it

was Mehmed II1 2 5 who established a waqf to provide for the expenses of itspersonnel.

According to Ayvansarayi the mosque is called the 'Eski (old) maretbecause it had served as part of an imaret until the completion of the FatihComplex by Mehmed II; only later was it employed as a mosque in its own

right.126 The waqfiyya of Mehmed II, however, indicates that the building

had been called 'Eski imaret even when it was serving as an imaret withthirty-five chambers in addition the mosque itself.127 Ayverdi also reports

70. The Eski imaret Mosque. A lithograph (Paspates).


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Sfi

;k^ 71 . The Eski imaret Mosque. A general view.

7 The Eski imaret Mosque. The interior withthe nave and the mihrab.

7i. The Eski imaret Mosque. The interior.The entrance and the dome.


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74. The Eski imaret Mosque. The interior with the dome.

that these chambers were temporarily transformed into a madrasa with thissanctuary serving as its mosque.12 8 This would suggest that the word imarethere denotes simply a building complex rather than public kitchens

(although the complex may well have included a kitchen of its own).

A minbar for the mosque was furnished by an Ahmed Efendi, son ofshak Efendi, sheikhul is lam.129

We know that a mahalle had been established around the complex asearly as the reign of Mehmed II because such a neighbourhood is listed inthe w a q f i y y a .n o Ayvansarayi describes this mahalle as still intact in thenineteenth cen tu ry ,0 1 although it no longer exists today.

The chambers, too, have disappeared, but the mosque itself has not only

survived but remains in use.Plans drawn by Van Millingen demonstrate that only minor Turkish

alterations were made to the bu i l d i ng1 , 2 when it was converted to the use ofIslam. A minaret was added, certain windows were filled in, and a tewalterations made to the roof.


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75. The Eski imaret Mosque. Section and plan (Van Millingen).


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The Ahmed PaaMasjid Hirami Ahmed PaaMasjid)The Church of St. John the Baptist in Trullo

This building stands at aramba, in the neighbourhood of the Fethiye

Mosque. It is identified as the Church of St. John the Baptist in Truo,133

but it is not known when or by whom it was built. The date of construction

is thought to be in the twelfth century.134 As to the plan, it belongs to the

four-column type church with a narthex and three semicircular apses.133

The church was not converted into a masjid for some time after the

conquest. Pharantzes recorded that the Church of Pammakaristos, now theFethiye Mosque, had been made the patriarchal seat and that PatriarchGennadius had transferred the nuns previously accommodated there to this

bui lding.1 3 6 It was Ahmed Paa, sheikhul i s lam, also identified with the title'hram, ' who turned the building into a masjid.137 Although there is norecord of the date of the conversion, it is improbable that the church became

a masjid either before 1000/1591-92 (when the patriarchal seat was removedfrom the Pammakaristos), or after 1007 / 1598- 99 , the year in which AhmedPaadied.138

76. The Ahmed Paa Masjid. A lithograph. (Paspates).


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77. The Ahmed

Paa asjidfrom the east.The apses.

78. The Ahmed

Paa Masjid. Plan

(Mathews).

Originally the arches supporting the dome rested on four piers or

columns, but these were removed in the course of Turkish repairs.139 Most

of the windows were walled up,140 while in the southern wall of the narthex

a door was opened.141 A wooden minaret was added to the roof.142

Because the structure was languishing in ruin, restoration was undertakenby the Ministry of the Waqfs in I 960 . 1 4 5 At present it is used for the Faithof Islam. The masjid was once the centre of a mahalle}^


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The Fethiye Mosque

The Church of St. Mary Pammakaristos

Situated at aramba, at the edge of the Fifth Hill, this building contains asouth church, now a museum and a north one, still in use as a mosque.

This was the Byzantine church of Pammakaristos (Mary the All-Blessed). It

consists of three parts; the main church on the north, ambulatory in plan;

the south church, a small four-column chapel; and a preambulatory. There

is a narthex and gynaecium on the west,145 and the perambulator/ envelops

the building on the south, west, and north sides.146

When and by whom the church was founded cannot be so readily

determined, although there are some suggestions. 147Three years after the conquest, the church became the patriarchal seat of

Istanbul. Previously, Patriarch Gennadius had been appointed by the sultan

and given the Church of the Holy Apostles.148 Then, as the neighbourhood

of that church had become chiefly inhabited by the Turks, he withdrew to

the Church of Pammakaristos. The reason why he selected this church was

that a large colony of Greeks, who had been brought to repopulate the

79. The Fethiye Mosque. A lithograph (Paspates).


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80. The Fethiye Mosque. A general view.

81 . The FethiyeMosque. Plan(Underwood).


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82. The Fethiye Mosque. The interior of the north building. The ambulatory.

capital, had settled in this district.14 9 During the next one hundred and

thirty-eight years the Pamrnakaristos rem ained the seat of successivepatriarchs.

Because of disagreements between the monks and government officials,

this building was taken from them, and then converted into a mosque in the

reign of Murad III, in the year when Georgia was conquered, hence theTurkish name Jethiye (conquest), given to the edifice.150

After its conversion, Sinan Paa, then grand vizier, established a madrasain the courtyard, and Kethda Bey Mehmed Aa, son-in-law of DamadIbrahim Paa, built a school and put a fountain there. 151 After that, in1051/1640 fire devastated the bui lding.1 5 2 During the reign of SultanAbdlmecid the mosque was repaired.153 Between 1936-1938 the structurewas once again restored, this time by the Administration of the W aqf s . In1960s the Byzantine Institute of the United States and Dumbarton Oakscleaned and restored the side chapel, uncovering the mosaics and replacingmissing columns.154


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83. The Fethiye Mosque.

The interior of the north

building. The central part

with the dome.

The Turkish alterations to the church on the north included the

replacement of three eastern apses by a triangular domed projection and the

addition of a mihrab in the southeast corner. The floor in the easternportion was raised a step above the general level, and the triple arcades

around the other three sides were replaced by broad pointed arches.

In the south church die columns on the north side supporting the archesof the dome were replaced by a Turkish arch spanning the building from eastto west. Another significant Turkish addition to the building is the minaret

erected at the southwestern corner.

The mosque was surrounded by its own mahalle 1^1


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67

84. The Fethiye Mosque. The Interior of the south building with the dome and the vaults.

85. The Fethiye Mosque. The mihrab from the exterior.


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The Kefeli MasjidThe Monastery of Manuel

This building is located a short distance to the east of the Odalar Mosque

in Karagmrk. Its Byzantine history is almost u n k n ow n . 1 6 Althoughgenerally accepted as the refectory of the Monastery of Manuel, founded

in the mid-ninth century, recent studies show that it is a later Byzantine

const ruc t ion .157 The northward orientation makes it highly unlikely that thestructure was built as a church. Grossmann found evidence of a triple nave,

however, suggesting that the building was a basilica in p lan . 158 At present,nothing remains of the eastern flank, and what remains -the southern end-

of the western flank has been turned into a son cemaat yeri, a place for late

comers to prayer.

After the conquest, during the relocation of Christian communities from

affa (Kefe) in the Crimea in 880/1475, this building was handed over to

86. The Kefeli Masjid. A lithograph (Paspates).


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the Christians.159 Thereafter, it was used jointly by Catholics andArmenians. It was converted by an anonymous person from Caffa around1040/1630;160 hence the Turkish name of the building.

In the course of conversion minor interventions such as the walling upof some windows were undertaken. A minbar was presented by Hekim AliPaa.161

For the waqf of the masjid the only source is Hadikat iil Cevami byAyvansarayi. As he states, the expenses of the personnel were supplied by

the waqf of Selim I.162After the conversion some building took place around the masjid. A

madrasa was built by Gazi Mahmud, and a school was erected by Mustafaavu.

163

In the 1970s the building was restored; and during this restoration the

minaret was repaired.164

The masjid was surrounded by its own mahalle.165

87. The Kefeli Masjid. A general view.


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88. The Kefeli Masjid. Plan (Van Millingen).

89. The Kefeli Masjid. The interior.


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91 . The Kasm Aa Masjid.The exterior.

92. The Kasm AaMasjid. Plan

(Mller-Wiener).


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The same person founded a waqf for the masjid.172 The Istanbul VakflarTahrir Defteri of 953/1546 shows that the waqf had an extensive evkafthroughout the city.173

When the Turks encountered the building after the conquest it was in a

ruinous condition.17 4 In the course of conversion the kibla wall gained athoroughly Turkish character with the addition of a mihrab with stalactites,and a window on either s i d e .1 ' 3 The walls were pierced with Turkishwindows and a stone minaret was erected.1'6

The edifice was damaged by an earthquake in 1312/1894 and then by afire in 1919 . Between 1975 and 1977 it was restored by the foundationFatih'in Eserlerini ihya ve Koruma Dernei, and its minaret was rebuilt in1989.177

The neighbourhood of this masjid was known as 'thePerakende Mahalle'until 1934 , when it was combined with DerviAli Mahalle.118

93. The Kasm Aa Masjid.The minaret.


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The Kariye Mosque (Atik kW PaaMosque)

The Church of St.Saviour in Chora 9This mosque is not far from the Adrianople Gate at Edirnekapi. Until onlya century and a half ago, the monument had been forgotten. After 1860,when it was rediscovered, the Turkish government had the walls of the

building cleaned and the mosaics revealed.180 In 1948, a second extensive

program of cleaning and restoration was begun under the sponsorship of the

Byzantine Institute of America and the Dumbarton Oaks.18 1 Now the edifice

is a museum.

The excavations of the Byzantine Institute show that nothing in the

present building can be dated earlier than the Comnenen period;18 2 their

findings have distinguished two phases within the period.183 The building

of the first phase (1077-1081) was probably constructed on a small cross-

in-square plan, in contrast to that of the second phase (datable to 1120 witha broad apse and a square domed nave.184A replacement of the narthex and

side chapels between 1315 and 1321 gave the structure its present shape.185

The structure today has a central sanctuary with an inner and outer narthex,

a storied gallery along the north, and a parecclesion to the south. 186

94. The Kariye Mosque. A lithograph (Paspates).


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95. The Kariye Mosque from the east.

The conversion into a mosque took place during the reign of Bayezid II,

for it was Atik Ali Paa, the grand vizier at the time, who converted it andfounded a waqf for it.18 ' In the Istanbul Vakflar Tahrir Defteriof 9 5 3 / 1 5 4 6 ,it was registered under the name of Kenise Camii .1 88 Of the date of conversion nothing is known. However, it is known that Ali Paa died in9 1 7 / 1 5 1 1 . The conversion could not have been undertaken any later.Likewise it could not have been before 907/1501, when he was appointed

the grand vizier.189In succeeding periods an imaret and a school were erected around the

mosque by Hac Beir Aa, dar-s-saade agha, who died in 1 1 5 9 / 1 7 4 6 .Neither the school nor the imaret stands at present.

The Turks did not significantly alter the building in the course of

conversion. The original dome was replaced by a Turkish one since it had

collapsed.191 Another Turkish construction, the minaret, was built at thewestern corner of the parecclesion. The large window bays across the facade

were walled up by the Turks.


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96. The Kariye Mosque. Plan (Underwood) (Ousterhout).

Van Millingen informs us that the mosque suffered much from fire.192

Ulke records that in the reign of Sultan Ahdlaziz, the building was

repaired,193 and then in 1875-1876 it was restored under the supervision ofthe architect Kuppas . 194 The earthquake of 1894 then severely damaged thebuilding and toppled the minaret, occasioning another restoration in 1898during the reign ofAbdlhamid II.195

The mosque was surrounded by its own mahalle 196


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ALONG THE HAL (THE GOLDEN HORN)

TheAtik MustafaPaaMosque (also known as theKocaMustafa

PaaMosque and theHazreti-i Cabir Mosque)The Church ofSs.Peter and Mark

Neither the name nor the founder of this building in the neighbourhood ofAyvansaray is known. According to the Patriarch Constantius IV, it was thechurch of Ss. Peter and Mark,19 ' and Eyice identifies it with a church of St.Thecla that was built in the ninth century.198 The exact date of its construc

tion has not been determined. Various suggestions for dating range from the

fifth century to the twelfth.199 The plan of the church is the simplest form ofthe domed-cross type with no galleries.200

According to Ayvansarayi, this was one of the churches transformed into

mosques by the Grand Vizier Mustafa Paa;20 i hence the Turkish nameKocaMustafa Paa Mosque. The word 'atik' preceding the name may be a titleadded to distinguish this Mustafa Paa Mosque from another which bore thesame name. The conversion must have been undertaken during the reign of

Bayezid II, for Mustafa Paa was killed in 918 / 1512- 13 .

99. The Atik Mustafa Paa Mosque. A Lithograph (Paspatesl.


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100. The Atik MustafaPaa Mosque from the

southwest.

9

101. The Atik Mustafa Paa Mosque from the east. The apses.


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102. The Atik MustafaPaa Mosque.The interior with themihrab.

The apsidal southern chamber was used as a tomb, and a grave there

makes the building one of the rare examples of a mosque with a tomb in the

interior. Although Ayvansarayi states that a Cabir bin Abdullah was buriedhere,202 neither of the two persons we know by that name could have been

buried in this building.20 3 The mosque nevertheless also goes by the name

ofHazret-i Cabir.Ayvansarayi also mentions a pair of baths beside the mosque, but at

present there is no trace of such a building at the site of the mosque. 204 Eyice

informs us that there is a street called 'Klhan Sokak' (Bath-Stoker Street)within the district, however, and that Turkish baths existed there until 1908or 1910 .205

Opposite the mosque is a fountain also mentioned by Ayvansarayi. It was

built by atr Hasan Aa in 1 1 0 4 / 1 6 9 2 - 9 3 . The mosque stood within itsown mahalle.106Originally the building was entered through a narthex.20 ' On its founda

tions, a Turkish portico has been erected. Whereas in the Byzantine period


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103. The Atik MustafaPaa Mosque. Section

and plan (Van

Millingen).

entrance had been provided by three doors,208 during the conversion the two

side doors were transformed into windows. Probably at the same time, both

the interior and exterior of the walls were plastered over, and windows to the

east and along the flanks walled up. Originally the interior must have been

brighter than it is now.209 The mihrab is on the axis of the central apse.The original dome of the building, which must have been higher and

windowed,210 was also replaced during the Ottoman period; the roof islikewise of Turkish construction.211

In 1957 the Byzantine Institute of America uncovered frescoes depictingthe Archangel Michael and the twin brothers, Saints Damian and Cosmasin the arcade along the southern exterior wall.21 2 These clearly belong to

the final period of Byzantine art in Istanbul, the first half of the fifteenth

century.213

In the earthquake of 1310/1894 the building was severely damaged, andthe minaret partially collapsed.214 Sometime before 1906 the entire mosquewas restored and the minaret rebuilt. It remains in use by the faithful of the

neighbourhood.


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The Gl Mosque215The Church of St. Theodosia

This edifice stands at Cibali and at present is used as a neighbourhood

mosque. For the identification of the building in the Byzantine times, earlyscholars selected St. Theodosia as most likely.216 With foundations dating tothe ninth century,21 ' it is a domed-cross with a gynaecium.218

Ayvansarayi indicates that it was not converted into a mosque for

sometime after the conquest, stating that it was used at first as a storehouse

for the fleet.219According to him, it wasSelim II who turned the church intoa mosque. However, in the stanbul Vakflar Tahrir Defteri of 953/1546there is a record of a mahalle under the name 'Gt Mosque'.220 Therefore itseems that in the reign of Sleyman I the building had been used as a

mosque. Moreover, icmal defteri, registered under the number '93' in the

104. The Gl Mosque. A lithograph (Paspates).


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105.The Gl Mosque from the east. The apses.

stanbul Belediye Ktphanesi (the Istanbul Municipal Library), shows thatconversion of the church into a mosque was begun in 8 9 5 / 1 4 9 0 .2 2 1 That isto say, the building became a mosque in the reign of Bayezid II. NeverthelessSelim II might have established a waqf of the mosque.

Mahmud II certainly paid visits at intervals, for a hnkar mahfil was constructed here in his reign.222The building has undergone several repairs since the conversion so

that the original features and the Turkish alterations cannot easily be

distinguished from each other. However, the plans drawn by Van Millingen

show that the dome as being Turkish construction.22 3 Although the central

apse retains its original form, it has undergone Turkish alterations. The

original outer narthex has been replaced by a Turkish one. Another Turkish

construction is the minaret at the southwest corner of the main building.

The Mahalle of the Gl Mosque existed until 1934, when itwas absorbedinto the Mahalle of Kk Mustafa Paa.


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106. The Gl Mosque. Ground plan (Van Millingen).


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108. The Gl Mosque. The interior.The nave, the apse and the mihrab.

109. The Gl Mosque. The interior.The nave, the apse and the mihrab.

110. The Gl Mosque. The interior.The dome and the apse.

111. The Gl Mosque. The interiorThe northern gallery and the aisle.


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112. The Gl Mosque. Section through the gynaecium and a longitudinal section(Van Millingen).


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STRUCTURES DESTROYED OR IN RUINS

EMBERLTA- SULTANAHMET - EMNNTheYldz Dede Tekke

This building near the HamidiyeComplex at Bahekap has not survived.Following the conquest a church at this spot was presented to Necmeddin

Dede, also known asYldzDede and YldzBaba.He had taken part in thesiege of Constantinople, and he gave his name to thetekkeestablished here.1

A hamam, or Turkish bath, that he built also took his name. During thereign of Mahmud I, a tekke comprised of amasjid, trbe (tomb) and twochambers was constructed at the site under the supervision of the architectKayseriliMehmed Aa, who died in 1742.2Restoration was then carried outduring the reignof Abdlhamid I.3TheAcemiAaMasjid,or theLalaHayreddin MasjidThe Church of St. MaryChalcoprateiaThis was originally a church dedicated to the Mother of God in theByzantine quarter of Chalcoprateia;4 it is believed to have housed a sashfrom her robe. Only 150 meters from St.Sophia, this building stands nextto the Zeynep Sultan Mosque opposite theGiilhanePark. Who founded thebuilding has not yet been clearly determined. According to various accountsofitsdate, however, it should have been begun by the Princess Pulcheria, sis

ter of Theodosius II (408-450) and finished by the Empress Verina, wife ofLeo IC457-474).5According to most Byzantine sources it functioned as thepatriarchal church for a while after 532, when St. Sophia was damaged byfire.6In the reign of Basil I (867-886) it was rebuilt, and a dome was addedabove the nave.7 The original plan of the church was that of a three-aisledbasilica of broad proportions.8


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113. The Acemi Aa Masjid. Plan of the site (Mller-Wiener).

The building was transformed into the Faith of Islam byLala Hayreddin,arpa emini, and hence its name.9 As Ayvansarayi introduces the date of itsconversion as 889/1484, this must have taken place at the beginning of the

reign of Bayezid II,

Only the apsidal part of the building was turned into a masjid. This was

not because the building was too large but because only that part of it had

survived damage during the Latin occupation of the city.

Lala Hayreddin established a waqf for the building, 10 and Acemi AhmedAa,bab-us-saade agha, extended this waqf by assigning ecza-i erife.11 For thisreason the masjid is also known as the Acemi Aa Masjid. Ali Paa, grandvizier, killed in 1169/1755, presented a minbar to the building, as

Ayvansarayi has recorded. The latter also mentions a fire, which occasioned

a re-building, but gives no date for this. On the other hand, as an inscrip

tion on the masjid shows,1- Mehmed Said Paa, the grand vizier whosucceeded Ali Paa, repaired the building within the year." This repair isprobably the same rebuilding mentioned by Ayvansarayi. Mller-Wiener

writes that the fire of 1200/1785 damaged the masjid severely.'4


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The neighbourhood of this masjid1' was combined with the AlemdarMahalle in 1934.16

This edifice continued in use until the early twentieth century.17 Since its

abandonment, the site has gradually deteriorated. In 1937 the minaret waspulled down, and then its materials were sold.18 At present only ruins of thebuilding survive.19

TheGngrmez Masjid

This building, which stood in the neighborhood of the Sultan AhmedMosque, fell victim to an explosion in modern times when it was in use asa powder magazine.

The structure had been converted into a masjid after the conquest. It was

looked after as a waqf of Mehmed II, its personnel paid by this waqf.20Amahalle associated with the masjid continued in existence until 1934.21

TheHamzaPaaMasjid (also known as thePeykhane or theTahtaMinareli Masjid22)This building, once located at emherlita, has not survived, nor has its exactsite been located.

It is only from Ayvansarayi23 that we learn the building was transformed

from a church into a masjid. Little is known of its history either as a church

or as an Islamic building. What is certain is that a church here was converted

into a masjid by Hamza Paa who was appointed governor of Egypt in1 0 9 4 / 1 6 8 3 .2 4 The building consequently received his name. The masjidstood within its own neighbourhood.

AKSARAY - LALEL - SARAHANE

TheBalaban AaMasjid

This modest building stood in ehzadeba until the beginnings of the twentieth century. In 1911 it was ravaged by fire, and in 1930 it was pulled downby the Ministry of the Waqfs ,2 5 so that at present there is nothing left of it.

Neither its original name nor its function is clear,26 and who built the

structure is likewise u n k n o w n .2 ' The original construction most probablydated to the fifth century.2 s

The plan was basically circular; the interior was hexagonal, with six

niches and a crypt beneath.


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114. The Balaban Aa Masjid. A lithograph (Paspates).

The building was adapted for Muslim worship by a Balaban Aa29 whowas a segbanbaof Mehmed II; it was he who established the waqf, whichdates to 8 8 8 / 1 4 8 3 .3 0 Ayvansarayi states that the waqf of the Ayasofyasupplied wages for the personnel of the masjid31 which was situated withinits own mahalle.^1

115. The Balaban AaMasjid. Plan (Mansel).


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In the course of conversion windows were pierced, a mihrab was builtinto the interior, and a portico was added to run along one-half of theexterior. A minaret was built on one of the piers.

TheSegbanba brahimAaMasjid

This edifice was standing in ruins near the Complex of Gazanfer Aa until

1934, when it was partially pulled down to widen Atatrk Boulevard. In1953 all remains were completely obliterated by apartment blocks.The Byzantine structure was a four-column church with three apses, quite

small.33 The original name has never been determined. Suggestions for

the date of construction range from the eleventh century to the thirteenth

century.34

The waqfiyyas ofMehmed II indicate thatdie site of the church remainedin the hands of the Christians for some time. Thus it probably continued in

use as a church until its conversion. The edifice was transformed into a

masjid by Segbanba Ibrahim Aa, hence its Turkish name. The conversioncertainly occurred before 902/1496-97, the year when Segbanba, whom

Ayvansarayi indicates as the founder of the waqf,33 was killed and interredin front of the mihrab?6 A record of the waqf also occurs in die IstanbulVakflar Tahrir Defteri of 953/1546.37

The minaret, which dated from the fifteenth century,38 was most likely

constructed in the course of the conversion. We learn again from

Ayvansarayi that a minbar was presented by Grczade Hseyin Efendi, acontemporary of his.

Paspates published a picture of the masjid39 which shows that thebuilding had been extensively repaired in the nineteenth century.4LFurthermore, according to a lost inscription, the edifice was repaired by

PertevNihal Hanm, the mother of Sultan Abdlaziz, in 1 2 5 4 / 1 8 3 8 .The masjid was the centre of its own mahalle.

The Haydarhane MasjidOt this masjid, which once stood between Aksaray and Sarahane, nothingremains. From Ayvansarayi we learn that it was one of the churches

converted for Islamic use.41 It was Haydar Dede, a sheikh, who aimed the


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This edifice is known by at least three Turkish names: the mostfrequently heard is Ese (sa) Kap Masjid,46 but it is also spoken of as theIbrahim Paa Masjid and the Manastr Masjid.4' Its name in Byzantinetimes, on

suleyman kirimtayif, converted byzantine churches in istanbul 2001

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