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The Atik Valide Mosque is part of one of the largest social complexes in Istanbul. It’s located in Üsküdar.
Introduction to the Atik Valide Complex
The Atik Valide Complex (Atik Valide Külliyesi) was designed by architect Mimar Sinan (1490-1588). It was commissioned by Nurbanu Sultan (1525-1583), mother of Murad III and chief consort of Selim II, and was one of two great mosque complexes built by Mimar Sinan in Constantinople.
The complex is located very near Bağlarbaşı and is only about a 15 minute walk from the Bağlarbaşı metro station. Otherwise, you can either take a short bus or taxi ride or walk there in about 20 minutes from Üsküdar Square.
Atik Valide Mosque
The Atik Valide Mosque (Atik Valide Camii), also known as the Old Valide Mosque (Eski Valide Camii), was originally planned as a small structure with a single minaret. The plans kept expanding and it was built in three stages from 1571 to 1586.
The first stage took place between 1570 and 1579. In the beginning, it was likely overseen by another architect because Mimar Sinan was based in Edirne at the time building the Selimiye Mosque. Construction included the original mosque, double portico, and minarets.
The second stage began in 1583 after the death of Nurbanu Sultan and was overseen by the foundation’s first trustee, Pîr Ali bin Mustafa. This saw the enlargement of the mosque by adding sections to the east and west, both topped with two small domes. Due to his extremely old age, Mimar Sinan likely entrusted the work to Davud Ağa (d. 1598). The project was completed by 1586.
The third and final stage took place around 1834 during the reign of Mahmud II. The window arrangement on the west side of the mosque was partially modified and the Imperial Pavilion was added along with a Sultan’s loge on the southwest corner. The mosque was later restored between 1956 and 1972.
Courtyard
The courtyard of the mosque has four entrances in each direction. Three fountains with pointed arches sit on the exterior wall next to the western entrance while there’s one next to the eastern entrance.
The south gate enters to an outer courtyard with a small cemetery containing mostly 18th and 19th-century burials.
The inner courtyard is surrounded by arcades on three sides and the mosque on the south side. It features an ablution fountain (şadırvan) in the center and 38 domed bays, each with a window, underneath the arcades.
The outer portico rests on 16 columns and has a wooden roof covered in lead. The inner portico is covered by five domed bays. The central bay contains the entrance portal to the mosque, which is made of white marble and features a muqarnas niche.
Prayer Hall
The prayer hall of the mosque is richly decorated with Iznik tiles. Most are concentrated around the mihrab and feature flower motifs while others above the windows make up calligraphy panels. The Sultan’s loge is on the southwest corner behind a gilded wooden grill, and the prayer hall receives natural light from a total of 114 windows
The prayer hall is topped by a dome 12.7 meters (42 feet) in diameter, supported on 6 arches arranged in a hexagon as well as 5 semi-domes. The main dome contains 18 windows in the drum while the semi-domes have 4 each.
Atik Valide Complex
The Atik Valide Complex (Atik Valide Külliyesi) contained a madrasa, hospital and medical school, caravanserai, soup kitchen, hamam, Quran recital school, tekke (dervish lodge), and primary school. The buildings surround the mosque.
Main Building
A massive building south of the mosque features multiple sections that were dedicated to different functions. It consisted of a caravanserai (kervansaray), soup kitchen (imaret), and guesthouse (tabhâne) sharing a common courtyard and entrance; a Hadith school (Dârülhadis) and Quran recital school (Dârülkurrâ); and a hospital (dârüşşifâ). The building now belongs to the Mehmed the Conqueror Foundation University (Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University).
The main entrance on Toptaşu Street opened to the courtyard of the caravanserai, soup kitchen, and guesthouse. The fountain to the right of the entrance was built by Hasan Çavuş in 1579. The caravanserai has been almost completely reconstructed.
The courtyard is surrounded by a porch with 29 domed units. The guesthouse and soup kitchen, which are completely symmetrical, each have their own T-shaped inner courtyards. The kitchen has six units with three stoves, five hearths, a dining hall, pantry, and warehouse.
The Hadith and Quran recital schools consisted of a series of cells on the northeast side of the building. They were used as the Toptaş Prison from the 19th century until well into the Republic period. The main room of the Quran recital school, on the southern end, functioned as the prison’s bath.
The hospital, along with the soup kitchen, served as the barracks of Nizâm-ı Cedîd (New Order), Sekbân-ı Cihâdiyye (Warrior Sekbans), and Asâkir-i Nizâmiyye (Regular Troops) soldiers from 1800 to 1865; a mental hospital from 1865 to 1927; and the Tekel Yaprak Tobacco Care Workshop from 1935 to 1976. It was transferred to the Üsküdar İmam-Hatip High School in 1977.
Primary School
The Atik Valide Primary School (Valide-i Atik Sıbyan Mektebi) is southeast of the mosque. It consists of a domed square building with a portico at the entrance. It was later converted into a library by Feridun Ağa in the 18th century and used as such until the end of the 20th century. The building was later abandoned and heavily damaged, but it has since been restored. It now functions as Quran recital school.
Madrasa
The Atik Valide Madrasa (Valide-i Atik Medresesi) is attached to the west wall of the mosque courtyard. It consists of a trapezoidal courtyard with 18 student cells on the east, north, and west sides and a large classroom on the north side.
The north wall is on a slope and sits on a retaining wall. The southwest corner of the madrasa was converted into a library in the 18th century. The building was restored in 1963/64 and was occupied by poor families who used it as a residence for many years.
The Nurbanu Atik Valide Sultan North Fountain (Nurbanu Atik Valide Sultan Kuzey Çeşmesi) is underneath the classroom on the outer wall. It has no inscription, but some sources state it was built by Mimar Sinan in 1583.
Tekke
The tekke, or dervish lodge, is east of the mosque. The building is trapezoidal in shape and surrounds a central courtyard. The entrance is on the southwest corner. Surrounding the courtyard are 35 square units topped with a dome and a tawhidhane on the east side. One thing you may notice is the absence of exterior windows, which gave the dervishes the necessary seclusion.
The tekke was associated with Halveti order until all Sufi dervish lodges were closed by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (c. 1881-1938) on November 30, 1925. It was repaired in the 1970s and transferred to the Science Dissemination Society (İlim Yayma Cemiyeti). Today, it belongs to the Nakkaş Ornamental Arts Center (Nakkaş Tezyini Sanatlar Merkezi).
