Yavuz Selim Mosque, Istanbul

Yavuz Selim Mosque, Istanbul

The Yavuz Selim mosque is an Ottoman Imperial mosque. The mosque is also called the “Selim I Mosque”. It is located on top of the fifth hill of Istanbul, and overlooks the Golden Horn. This mosque is the second oldest imperial mosque in Istanbul, and it was completed in 1522.

The Yavuz Selim Mosque was commissioned by the Ottoman Sultan, “Suleiman the Magnificent” and was constructed by the Imperial Architect of that time. Many scholars say it was built by the celebrated Imperial Architect Mimar Sinan, but apart from a turbe (tomb), in the garden of the mosque, there is little evidence that supports this theory. The mosque is decorated by Iznik tiles (highly decorated ceramic tiles), and the Yavuz Selim mosque boasts one of the earliest examples of these tiles in Istanbul. Minarets flank the mosque on either side, and there is a large courtyard with marble and granite columns in the mosque complex.

The interior of the mosque consists of a simple room, twenty four meters on each side, and a shallow dome. The windows have spectacular displays of Iznik tiles decorating the interior of the mosque. There are four small domed rooms that used to house travelling dervishes present to the north and south of the main room.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Istanbul. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Yavuz Selim Mosque on Map

Sight Name: Yavuz Selim Mosque
Sight Location: Istanbul, Turkey (See walking tours in Istanbul)
Sight Type: Religious

Walking Tours in Istanbul, Turkey

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