Arab Istanbul Mosque

The house of prayer stands in Karaköy, near the Golden Horn, and displays three aisles with pointed windows and vaulting that recall Italian craftsmanship. The former bell tower now serves as a slender minaret and shapes the streetscape among the harbor buildings.

Dominicans built the structure in 1325 as the Church of San Domenico, which served the order as a base in the Genoese quarter. Mehmed II took over the church after the conquest of Constantinople and converted it into a mosque between 1475 and 1478.

The name refers to the Moorish refugees who arrived from Spain in the late 15th century and were given this house of prayer by the sultan. Walking inside, you notice how the arches and windows still recall a Latin church, while prayer rugs and the niche for prayer shape daily Islamic worship.

The house of prayer sits a short walk from the shores of the Golden Horn and opens daily from 9 AM to 6 PM, except during the five daily prayer times. It is best to visit outside the main prayer hours to find quiet for observing the architecture.

The building is the only medieval Gothic house of worship in Istanbul and combines Italian church forms with Ottoman prayer architecture. You can still see in the pillars and cross vaults the signature of the Genoese builders who came from northern Italy seven centuries ago.