Küçük Mecidi Mosque, Ottoman mosque in Istanbul, Turkey
Küçük Mecidi Mosque is an Ottoman-style house of worship with two thin minarets and round windows that bring light into the interior. The inside features oil paintings on the dome and colored marbles around the prayer niche.
The mosque began construction in 1853 at the request of Bezmiâlem Valide Sultan, mother of Sultan Abdülmecid, and was completed that same year. Its swift completion shows how important the building was for the dynasty.
The mosque reflects the work of the Balyan family, who merged traditional Ottoman design with stone and marble craftsmanship of that era. Visitors can see how religious function and artistic skill came together in the building's details.
The site sits on the Bosphorus waterfront near Dolmabahçe Square and is easy to reach on foot. Visitors should wear modest clothing and remember this is an active place of prayer where quiet and respect matter.
The building once sat closer to the Bosphorus waters before development work at Dolmabahçe Square in 1948 partly affected its outer courtyard. These changes still shape how the mosque relates to the surrounding square today.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
