Yeni Mosque is located in Eminönü Square next to
the Egyptian Spice Bazaar. It is at the center of a complex
and has a striking place in the skyline of İstanbul. Construction
of the mosque was started in honour of Sultan Mehmed III's
mother and Sultan Murad III's wife Safiye Sultan in 1597. The
architect, Architect Davud Ağa, began working on the design
of the mosque until Dalgıç Ahmed Ağa took
over after 1598. The mosque was only half-finished when Sultan
Ahmed I came to the throne.
It was abandoned for nearly fifty years, during which the
houses of the Jewish community surrounding it become so numerous
that it was referred to as "Zulmiyye" or "the
wronged". Construction began again at the initiative
of Sultan Mehmed IV's mother, Hatice Turhan Sultan, in 1661.
It was completed in 1663, with Mustafa Ağa as the architect.
The complex contained a mosque, a primary school, fountains,
the summer house of the sovereign and a mausoleum. All but
the primary school are standing today. Due to the widening
of roads around the mosque the outer courtyard was removed.
On the side of the Egyptian Bazaar is an inner courtyard
containing 18 pillars, 21 domes, three doors and a beautiful
reservoir for ablutions. The area for late-arriving worshippers
has eight pillars, nine domes and is covered with glazed
tiles up to the base of the windows on the second floor.
Above the windows can be seen the calligraphy of Hattat Tenekecizade
Mustafa Çelebi. To the left and right are two minarets
each with three galleries. The mosque is entered by a flight
of steps through three separate doors. It has a square plan.
The main dome rests on four half-domes as well as four arches
and four elephant feet decorated with glazed tiles. There
are a total of 66 domes, including four in the corners and
those on the side of the mausoleum and bridge, which are
surrounded by columns. The mosque niche and pulpit are made
of white marble, and the left of the niche is decorated with
a mosaic of gems. The summer house is said to have been built
for Turhan Sultan and is a striking structure exhibiting
all the characteristic of a classic Turkish house. It was
positioned in such a way as to ensure one of the finest panoramic
views in the city. The structure has a living room, or salon;
and three other rooms. The walls are covered with valuable İznik
glazed tiles. The woodwork is inlaid with ivory and mother-of-pearl.
It was used as a storeroom until 1948, restored between 1948-1966
and opened as a museum in 1967.
The complex includes the mausoleum of Hatice Turhan Sultan,
in which five sultans and a large number of royalty make
up the largest burial site of the bloodline of the Ottomans.
Besides Hatice Turhan Sultan, there are the graves of Sultan
Mehmed IV, Sultan Osman III, Sultan Mustafa II, Sultan Ahmed
III and Sultan Mahmud I. The dome which covers the mausoleum
has a diameter of more than 15 meters.
