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The Laleli Mosque (Laleli Camii) is the centerpiece of the Laleli neighborhood in Istanbul, Turkey. It sits along Ordu Street (Ordu Caddesi), which is part of the historic Divan Yolu.
History of the Laleli Mosque
The Laleli Mosque was built between 1760 and 1763 by Sultan Mustafa III. The architect was Hacı Ahmed Ağa, who designed it in the Baroque style. It was completed by another architect, Mehmed Tahir Ağa. The mosque was destroyed by fire in 1783 and immediately rebuilt.
The mosque was named after Laleli Baba, who Sultan Mustafa III considered as his guardian. It was built on a terrace above a series of shops meant to provide it with financial support. The terrace sits three to four meters higher than the street level.
Features of the Laleli Mosque
The Laleli Mosque has some interesting features, both architectural and aesthetic.
Courtyard
The courtyard of the mosque sits behind a monumental entrance. It’s rectangular in shape and about twice the size of the prayer hall. It contains an ablutions fountain (şadırvan) in the center.
An arcade containing 18 domed bays surrounds the courtyard. They’re supported by 14 columns. Two minarets stand on the corners of the courtyard entrances closest to the mosque.
Prayer Hall
The prayer hall is on a square plan and is lit by several windows, both clear and stained glass. The walls are covered with colored marble. The mihrab and minbar are also made with colored marble. The sultan’s loge sits on the upper left side of the back.
Dome
The dome is 12.5 meters (41 feet) in diameter and 24.5 meters (80.4 feet) high. It sits atop an octagonal drum supported by eight arches and a series of semi domes.
Laleli Mosque Complex
The complex once contained a madrasa, soup kitchen, hamam, caravanserai, fountain, tomb and timing house. The Koska Madrasa (Koska Medresesi) was damaged by an earthquake in 1894 and completely destroyed by fire in 1911. The Tayyare Apartments were built in its place. Road construction in the 1950s destroyed other structures. Only the Tomb of Mustafa III and the fountain remain today.
Tomb of Mustafa III
The Tomb of Mustafa III (III. Mustafa Türbesi) contains the burials of two Ottoman sultans, Mustafa III and Selim III. It was built in the Baroque style between 1759 and 1763 by Mehmed Tahir Ağa. It’s on a decagonal plan and topped by a single dome with three sides covered in marble.
The tomb was under restoration when I visited in May 2022 and nearly complete during my latest visit in June 2023. I look forward to seeing the results on a future trip to Istanbul.
The interior of the tomb is lavishly decorated with colorful tiles and calligraphy. The sarcophagi of the sultans are surrounded by wooden railings inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
The two sultans are buried next to six more people, including the daughters of Mustafa III, Hibetullah Sultan (1759-1762), Mihrimah Sultan (1762-1764), Mihrişah Sultan (1762-1769), and Fatma Sultan (1770-1772); his son Şehzade Mehmed (1767-1772); and his granddaughter Şerife Havva Sultan (d. 1780 at six months of age).
The consorts of Mustafa III, Aynülhayat Kadın (d. 1764) and Adilşah Kadın (d. 1803), are both buried in other tombs in the complex.
There’s also a footprint apparently belonging to the Prophet Muhammad inside the tomb. It’s one of four in Istanbul.
Biography of Mustafa III
Mustafa III (b. 1717, Edirne – d. 1774, Constantinople) was the 26th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (r. 1757-1774). He reformed the military and established educational facilities. He also established a strict fiscal policy in order to bring prosperity to Ottoman citizens in Constantinople. Mustafa III often traveled around the city to make sure the laws he enacted were being followed.
Biography of Selim III
Selim III (b. 1761, Constantinople – d. 1808, Constantinople) was the 28th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (r. 1789-1807). He was a talented calligrapher, musician, and poet who was fluent in both Arabic and Persian. He was very religious and patriotic. Selim III was a reformer who was deposed by the Janissaries in 1807 and executed a year later by his cousin, Sultan Mustafa IV. The assassins also attempted to kill the young Mahmud II but failed, and Mustafa IV was deposed. Selim III was the only Ottoman Sultan to die by the sword.
