Yeni Cami - New Mosque, Istanbul

It is not one of the top mosques, so with our limited time, it was another skipped monument (I don't know if entrance is allowed to tourists).

Seen from the harbour its sight is wonderful standing as a first plan in a spectacular panorama, with the top monuments showing here and there atop the hill.

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This translates as the "new Mosque". New in Istanbul standards means 400 years old. This Mosque is directly on the Golden horn water front by the Spice market. Its small by Istanbul standards but its position on the waterfront gives it a large presence in the Istanbul Skyline.

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Our visit to the New Mosque was with our tour group and we were made very welcome. Shoes must be removed before entry.

This is a very beautiful mosque, large with towering walls and highly decorated ceiling. We were there for approximately 30 minutes , enough time to view everything. We were allowed to take photos.

Construction of the mosque commenced during 1597 by Safiye, mother of Mehmet III, but was suspended upon his death. The mosque was not completed until 1663.

The Spice Bazaar is close by and best to combine with this visit.

Pera palace hotel is a famous historical Istanbul hotel, full of famous people, who stayed here: Ernest Hemingway, Greta Garbo, King Edward VIII, Queen Elizabeth II, Emperor Franz Joseph, Alfred Hitchcock and other.

Anyway, the most with this hotel associated person is thriller writer Agata Christie. Possible, staying in hotel was a inspiration to write famous novel "Murder on the Orient Express".

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The construction of Yeni mosque (means “New mosque) lasted for 66 years to complete (from 1597 to 1663). It was mostly due to deaths of supporters, a problem in financial, political fields. Three different architects time by time designed it, one of whom was pupil of famous Sinan.

Interior of mosque is decorated with blue, green, and white Iznik tiles. Exterior is quite nice on, especially looking when it is sunshine from the Galata bridge side or after crossing the other bank.

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Situated across the street from the south end of the Galata Bridge in the heart of the Eminönü district, the Yenii Camii was begun in 1597 at the bequest of the Safiye Sultan, the wife of Murad III. The district was predominately Jewish at that time and it was hoped a new Imperial mosque established in the heart of the district would spread the spirit of Islam. The vast costs involved – the Turkish armies were losing wars with the Persians and the Hapsburgs during Murad III’s reign – and political intrigue on the part of the Janissaries who resented the power of the Valide Sultan. Murad III died in 1595 but as the Valid Sultan – Mother of the Sultan, Safiye became a de facto co-regent of the empire for some eight years. That son, Mehmed III, died in 1603 and Ahmed I gained the throne. Along with came another Valide – Handan Sultana who had Safiye sent back to the general harem. Ahmed had no interest in finishing the Yenii Camii spending his architectural tendencies on the creation of the Blue Mosque instead.

During Ahmed’s reign, his wife Kösem Sultan began her long period of influence. Osman II ruled briefly for four years with the death of Ahmed, but he was murdered when he chose to try and attempt the influence of the Janissaries whom he blamed for a battle defeat at the hands of the Poles. Mustafa I succeeded Osman but quickly proved he was mentally incapable of ruling and was supplanted by Kösem’s son Murad IV. Murad ascended the throne at an age of only 11 and power was held by Kösem for the first nine years of his rule – a period marked by anarchy. He ruled in his own name from 1632 until his death at only 27 years of age in 1640. His brother Ibrahim I then took over. Murad had realized that his brother was mentally unstable and had ordered him to be killed upon his own death, but those wishes were disregarded and Kösem basically took over again for another eight years. Ibrahim – and Kösem – brought the empire almost to a state of collapse. At one point Ibrahim tried to have all 280 women in his harem drowned in the Bosphorus but at least two survived. One was his wife Turhan Hatice whom we will shortly get back to.

Ibrahim was finally strangled in 1648 and Mehmed IV – son of Turhan Hatice – took over at the age of only 6. This meant more of Kösem who continued to rule on behalf of her grandson. She hoped to replace Mehmed with another grandson when she realized she was going to have problems with Turhan. In fact, Turhan proved to be Kösem’s equal in the realm of intrigue and in 1651 Kösem was strangled opening the door for Turhan’s regency. She transferred power to Köprülü Mehmed Pasha when he became grand vizier in 1656.

Meanwhile, the uncompleted mosque had fallen into ruin and had been partially destroyed by a fire in 1660. Now, Turhan turned her attention from politics to building and at the suggestion of the Imperial Architect Mustafa Aga, the mosque was finally completed in 1665. The mosque plan was based upon the designs of the Shehzade and Sultan Ahmed mosques. Part of the mosque complex was a large market which survives today as the Egyptian Bazaar or better known as the Spice Market. The mausoleum of the Yenii Camii holds the graves of Turhan Hatice, her son Mehmed IV and five later sultans – Mustafa II, Ahmet II, Mahmut I and Murat V. The Yenii Camii is the only Imperial mosque instigated and completed at a woman’s bequest.

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This Mosque is another huge one, and is quite imposing.
It is at the center of a complex which contained the mosque, a primary school, fountains, the summer house of the sovereign and a mausoleum. All but the primary school is standing today. The outer courtyard was removed because of progress and on the side of the Egyptian Bazaar there is an inner courtyard.

The mosque, a square plan, is entered by a flight of steps through three separate doors. The main dome rests on four half-domes as well as four arches and four elephant feet decorated with glazed tiles. In total, there are 66 domes, including four in the corners and those on the side of the mausoleum and bridge, which are surrounded by columns. Construction of this Mosque began in 1597, but it was abandoned for nearly 50 years, before being completely finished in 1663.

The complex includes the mausoleum of Hatice Turhan Sultan, in which five sultans and a large number of royalties 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.

ADMISSION IS FREE, remember Ladies to cover your head, and everybody to remove their shoes before entering.
OPEN 9am - Dusk daily
I thought this Mosque was really nice and worth the visit.

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This tomb is located close to the New Mosque as it contains the grave of the mother of Sultan Mehmet IV who finished the construction of the mosque after it fell into ruin. The tomb also holds the graves of her son Mehmet IV as well as five later sultans (Mustafa II, Ahmet II, Mahmut I, Osman III and Murat V) and various members of the court.

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The New Mosque is situated on the Golden Horn at the southern end of the Galata Bridge and is one of the best-known sights of Istanbul. The construction of the mosque first began in 1597. It was ordered by Safiye Sultan, who was the wife of Sultan Murad III. The original architect was Davut Aga, an apprentice to the great Mimar Sinan. However, Davut Aga died in 1599 and was replaced by Dalgic Ahmed Cavus. Construction was then halted and then it fell into ruins before being destroyed by fire in 1660. Later that year, the imperial architect Mustafa Aga suggested that Valide Turhan Hatice, mother of Sultan Mehmet IV, should complete the project as a work of piety. The mosque was finally finished in 1663.

The exterior of the mosque itself boasts sixty-six domes and semi domes in a pyramidal arrangement, as well as two minarets. The main dome measures thirty-six meters in height while it measures 17.5 meters in diameter.

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Situated on the grounds of the 17th century Yeni Valide Camii (New Mother Mosque), this mausoleum is named after the Sultan's mother, Turhan Hatice Sultan, who built the mosque itself. The domed structure dates from the same period as the mosque and contains not only the tomb of Turhan Hatice Sultan, but also those of five Ottoman Sultans and other members of their family. The mausoleum is an impressive piece of architecture, an arcaded, multi-domed portico leads into a square domed chamber whose walls are covered with exquisite Iznik tiles. Note that shoes must be taken off before entering the mausoleum and women may have to wear a scarf (?).