Description
Nuruosmaniye Mosque is an Ottoman mosque dating back to the 18th century, located in the Fatih district of Istanbul, Turkey, specifically in the Cemberlitaş neighborhood. It was included in Turkey's Temporary World Heritage List in 2016.
The mosque's design was executed by the prominent non-Muslim Greek architect, Simon Kalfa, who had contributed to the construction of significant structures in the Ottoman Empire. Nuruosmaniye Camii represents one of the first major Ottoman buildings designed in a new style, incorporating elements of Ottoman Baroque influenced by Europe. Baroque and classical features manifest in the mosque's decorations and curved courtyard.
The mosque's dome is one of the largest in Istanbul, and the mosque is part of a larger religious complex that serves as a center for culture, religion, and education in the neighborhood. The construction of the complex was initiated by Sultan Mahmud I in 1748 and completed in 1755 during the reign of his brother and successor, Sultan Osman III.
Nuruosmaniye Camii symbolizes a period in the history of the Ottoman Empire, being the first mosque built by an Ottoman Sultan for his own imperial mosque in Istanbul since the construction of the New Mosque in the 17th century. It also holds the distinction of being the first significant structure reflecting the new Ottoman Baroque style, influenced by contemporary Baroque architecture in Europe.
A story about the beginning of the mosque's construction records Sultan Mahmud I's personal interest in the project during a site visit, expressing his personal involvement and sacred belief in the endeavor. After completion, an elderly man who visited the mosque prayed, stating that this place is sacred and that the project is an expression of God's interest.
The mosque was constructed under the leadership of the
