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PALACES, MOSQUES AND BAZAARS OF ISTANBUL

FATIH MOSQUE

This was the first great Turkish complex to be built on an urban scale in the city after the conquest. The patron was Mehmet (Fatih) (1451-1481) himself. The architect is known as Atik Sinan. with which lakab - pseudonym-he is general-ly distinguished from Koca Sinan, the great classical architect. Construction of the complex took place between 1463-1470. Architecturally it is one of the most well-integrated and successful groups of buildings of its type on that scale. Among the auxiliary buildings were a school, library, hospital, caravansaray, imaret and hamam, little trace of which however survives today.
The site of the mosque was originally that of a church (Hagion Apostolon) during the Byzantine period, and the site of the imperial cemetery. Excavations carried out during the building of the mosque revealed the tombs of the emperors, which were transferred to the courts of Topkapi Palace and are now in the Archeological museum.

A French traveller visiting Istanbul in about 1540, (Nicolas de Nicolay) records the splendid appearance of the mosque and the fact that it had an annual income of 60,000 Ducats. The writer also men-dons the existance of lodgings around the mosque for the imam and other members of the clergy, as well as hundreds of dwellings in the vicinity set aside for visitors to the city of every race and religion free of charge. When built, the complex covered 10 kms2 which made it the largest complex in existance in the city. Much of it was destroyed during a serious earthquake in 1766. The mausoleum was first restored by Mustafa III (1767-1771). The mosque itself was altered some time later to take on its pre-sent foim. The architect of the present building was Mehmet Tahir. The new mosque was opened to prayer on 15 April 1772. The frontal court of the mosque is original, as are the faience panels over the windows of the mosque. The court Is surrounded by a columned arcade, in which 18 granite columns support 22 cupolas. The main dome of the mosque is flanked by four semidomes and four cupolas flanking them. The main dome rests on arches separated by four piers. The earliest plan of the mosque is not altogether certain, although we way gain sOme idea of how it may have been from the sources, among them some il-lustrated. There appears to have been a large central dome with a semi dome on the mihrab wall and three cupolaed sec-lions on the flanking walls.The paired minarets, each with one gallery, of the original mosque were preserved during the restoration, only to have a second gallery added during the 19 century.Contained in a cemetry behind the mihrab wall are the tombs of Mehmet I and the sultana Gülbahar. Flanking these to either side were medreses and other auxiliary buildings which have since been demolished or changed beyond reconition.

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