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The Mihrimah Sultan Mosque (Mihrimah Sultan Camii) is one of three Ottoman mosques on Üsküdar Square in Istanbul. It sits directly across from the ferry terminal.
History
The Mihrimah Sultan Mosque was commissioned by Mihrimah Sultan (1522-1578), the daughter of Süleyman the Magnificent and the wife of Grand Vizier Rüstem Pasha (1500-1561). In addition to the mosque in Üsküdar, Mihrimah Sultan also built another larger mosque of the same name at Edirnekapı.
The architect was Mimar Sinan (1490-1588) and the mosque was built between 1543 and 1548. It was built at the same time as the Şehzade Mosque. For a virtual tour of the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, click here.
Complex
The mosque complex consisted of a madrasa, medical school, primary school, caravanserai, fountains, and tombs. Only some of these structure have survived. The madrasa is used today as a health center.
Features
The mosque had been closed for renovation for several years, and I finally got the chance to visit in October 2018. First, I admired the ablutions fountain, which sits under a pavilion extending from the porch. It contains 20 corners and is made of marble.
The prayer hall is beautifully decorated as expected. It has a dome 10 meters in diameter and a marble minbar.
Tombs
Tombs belonging to Mihrimah Sultan’s two children as well as Grand Vizier Ibrahim Edhem Pasha (1819-1893) and the Grand Admiral (Kaptan-ı Derya) of the Ottoman Navy, Sinan Pasha, are part of the complex.
