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There are two historic mosques in the UNESCO World Heritage listed old town of Safranbolu, Turkey.
Köprülü Mehmed Pasha Mosque
The first is the Köprülü Mehmed Pasha Mosque (Köprülü Mehmet Paşa Camii), which was probably completed in 1661. In addition to the mosque, there’s a fountain in the courtyard along with a library and common building. The mosque sits next to the Yemeniciler Bazaar (Yemeniciler Çarşısı), where shoes called yemeni were made.
İzzet Mehmed Pasha Mosque
The other more impressive mosque is the İzzet Mehmed Pasha Mosque (İzzet Mehmet Paşa Camii), built between 1794 and 1798. It has one minaret and is built over the the Akçasu Creek, which runs underneath.
The İzzet Mehmed Pasha Mosque was inspired by the Nuruosmaniye Mosque in Istanbul. It’s made entirely of cut stone. Inside the prayer hall, there’s an elegant minbar and mihrab.
In the courtyard of the mosque is the tomb of İzzet Mehmed Pasha (1743-1812), a former Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire. He was born in Safranbolu and served as Grand Vizier twice, once under Abdülhamid I and once under Selim III. The mosque was built during his last service, under Selim III. The tughra of Selim III is located on the mihrab.
Ironsmith’s Bazaar
From the courtyard, you can also look down on the Ironsmith’s Bazaar (Demirciler Çarşısı), where many handmade metal goods are sold. Outside of the mosque you can see ancient Roman foundations through a fence.
