Yavuz Selim Mosque

Last updated on December 2, 2024.

The Yavuz Selim Mosque sits on a hill in the Çarşamba neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey. It overlooks Fener and the Golden Horn.

Introduction to the Yavuz Selim Mosque

The Yavuz Selim Mosque was commissioned by Süleyman the Magnificent in memory of his father, Sultan Selim I. It was built between 1520 and 1528 and the architect was Acem Ali (d. 1539).

The mosque was part of a complex that included guest houses for traveling dervishes, a primary school, and a soup kitchen. The guest houses are on either side of the mosque and contained four domed cells, while the soup kitchen no longer exists. In addition, the tombs of two Ottoman sultans sit behind the mosque. The mosque has two minarets.

Courtyard of the Yavuz Selim Mosque

The courtyard of the mosque has a colonnaded portico with columns made of granite and marble. In the center is an ablutions fountain (şadırvan) built by Sultan Murad IV.

The windows around the courtyard are crowned with colored tiles using the cuerda seca technique. They were most likely made by Iranian craftsmen working for the Ottoman Imperial Court.

Prayer Hall of the Yavuz Selim Mosque

The prayer hall is 24.5 meters (80 feet) on each side. Doors on each side led to the guest houses for traveling dervishes. The hall is topped by a dome 32.5 meters (107 feet) high. The decor is quite simple for an imperial mosque.

Tombs at the Yavuz Selim Mosque

Four large tombs sit behind the Yavuz Selim Mosque. Two of them contain the burials of Ottoman sultans.

Tomb of Selim I

The first tomb belongs to Sultan Selim I. It’s octagonal in shape and contains a porch decorated with beautiful tiles. The tomb was completed in 1523 and includes doors with inlaid mother of pearl.

Biography of Selim I

Selim I (b. 1470, Amasya – d. 1520, Çorlu) was the 9th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (r. 1512-1520). Known as Selim the Grim and Selim the Resolute (Yavuz Sultan Selim), he seized power by dethroning his father, Bayezid II. Selim I increased the size of the Ottoman Empire by 70% through conquests of Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and the Arabian Peninsula. This established him as the first legitimate Ottoman Caliph.

Selim I had a fiery temper. He was extremely respected and was famously hardworking and energetic. He was also a distinguished poet, publishing works in both Turkish and Persian.

Tomb of Hafsa Sultan

To the side of the tomb of Selim I is the tomb of Hafsa Sultan (1478-1534), the chief consort of Sultan Selim I and mother of Süleyman the Magnificent. She’s buried next to her daughter, Hatice Sultan (1495-1543).

The tomb was built in 1534 by architect Acem Ali (d. 1539) and repaired shortly after by Mimar Sinan. It was completely destroyed during an earthquake in 1894 and rebuilt several years later.

Tomb of the Princes

Directly across from the tomb of Selim I is a tomb containing the graves of three princes, Mahmud (1512-1521), Murad (1519-1521), and Abdullah (1523-1526). They were all sons of Süleyman the Magnificent. The tomb was built in 1556, probably by Mimar Sinan. I’ll get a photo on a future trip.

Tomb of Abdülmecid I

Finally, the fourth tomb in the complex belongs to Sultan Abdülmecid I, which was built shortly before his death in 1861. It was designed by Ottoman Armenian architect Garabet Balyan (1800-1866).

Biography of Abdülmecid I

Abdülmecid I (b. 1823, Constantinople – d. 1861, Constantinople) was the 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (r. 1839-1861). He introduced the Tanzimat reforms to the Ottoman Empire. This included officially banning the turban in favor of the fez; plans to abolish slave markets (1847); decriminalizing homosexuality (1858); and proclaiming all Ottoman citizens equal before the law, regardless of religion. He also established modern universities (1848), issued the first Ottoman banknotes (1840), created the Ottoman lira (1844), and allowed non-Muslims to join the military (1856).

Abdülmecid I received a European education and was the first sultan to speak fluent French. He granted a patent to Samuel Morse (1791-1872) in 1847 for his telegraph, and personally tested the invention at the old Beylerbeyi Palace. He also restored Hagia Sophia between 1847 and 1849, and was responsible for abandoning Topkapi Palace for the modern Dolmabahçe Palace.

Abdülmecid I died of tuberculosis at the age of 38 on June 25, 1861. Unfortunately, his reforms couldn’t prevent a wave of nationalist movements among minority subjects of the Ottoman Empire. He’s buried next to three of his sons, Mehmed Abdülsamed (1853-1855), Osman Seyfeddin (1852-1855), and Mehmed Burhaneddin (1849-1876).

Views from the Mosque

The Yavuz Selim Mosque has some of the best views in Istanbul. The mosque overlooks the Golden Horn, and it’s possible to spot several important landmarks.

Map of Çarşamba