Selimiye Mosque Istanbul

Selimiye Mosque is located in Uskudar , opposite the Selimiye Barracks , it was commissioned in 1805 by Sultan Selim III, and although Ahmed Nureddin Efendi was a chief architect its main architect remains unknown.  Selimiye Mosque was built to have a “muvakkithane”, a time-keeping room to provide prayer times; a water fountain and “sebil” that provided travellers with drinking water and used for purification rituals before praying.  

Selimiye Mosque has a wide courtyard with four entrance doors and it’s apparent from its Western style architecture there were cultural influences during this time.  When the original minarets were completed they appeared to be too thick and the stonework was shaved down to make them thinner and during a bad storm in 1823 one completely collapsed, and the other partially, and both were later fully restored.  

Selimiye Mosque was built using cut stone, the dome has a diameter of 14.6m, with a series of five windows, is supported by four half-domes, and has a mihrab and pulpit made of porphyry; Selimiye Mosque is considered to be a masterpiece of marble and carpentry work.