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The Mosque with Three Balconies (Üç Şerefeli Camii), located in the historic city center of Edirne, is one of the most unique mosques in Turkey.
History
The Mosque with Three Balconies was commissioned by Sultan Murad II and built between 1438 and 1447. At that time, it was the largest mosque in the Ottoman Empire and was the greatest Ottoman architectural achievement to date. Unfortunately, the name of the architect has been lost to history.
The mosque was built as part of a larger complex including a soup kitchen, two madrasas, and a Quranic school. Only the two madrasas exist today.
The Mosque with Three Balconies was damaged by fire in 1732 and by an earthquake in 1748, but was later repaired by Ottoman architect Hacı Ahmed under the orders of Sultan Mustafa III. The next major renovation took place in 1930.
Minarets
This mosque has four minarets, all with different architectural designs and heights. They sit at the four corners of the building.
The tallest minaret is in the southern corner. It has the three balconies that give the mosque its name. Each of the three balconies is reached by a different staircase. The northern minaret has two balconies while the other two have just one balcony each.
The southern minaret stands 67 meters (220 feet) high and was the tallest minaret in the Ottoman Empire when it was built.
Courtyard
The courtyard of the mosque has an area half as large as the prayer hall. In the center is an octagonal ablutions fountain (şadırvan). Four channels from the fountain to the corners of the courtyard are used to handle overspill.
Arched porticoes covered by domes surround all four sides of the courtyard. Underneath the domes are beautiful decorations consisting of geometric patterns and calligraphy. Some are original designs repaired in the 18th century while others are later additions.
Prayer Hall
The spacious prayer hall is not as ornately decorated as other mosques in Edirne. Most of the walls are bare, and some of the calligraphy written on the arches has disappeared.
The most impressive decorations are on the wall surrounding the mihrab. It’s painted in geometric patterns of circles and stars. Furthermore, two blue and turquoise tile panels in the tympana may have been painted by the same tile makers who decorated the Green Mosque in Bursa.
Dome
The central dome is 24 meters (79 feet) in diameter. When it was built, it was the largest dome in any Ottoman building. The dome rests on a dodecagonal drum with 12 windows and is supported by six massive pillars. It’s flanked by two pairs of smaller domes. Click here for a virtual tour of the Mosque with Three Balconies.