Nuruosmaniye Mosque, Ottoman mosque near Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, Turkey.
The Nuruosmaniye Mosque is a house of prayer in the Fatih district near the Grand Bazaar and displays features of late Ottoman architecture. A large dome covers the central prayer space, and two slender minarets frame the structure on either side.
Construction of this mosque began in the middle of the 1700s under the rule of Sultan Mahmud I. His successor completed the project and created an important example of how mosque architecture was evolving in Istanbul.
The mosque shows how Ottoman builders began to blend European design ideas into their religious spaces during the 1700s. You can see this mixing in the decorative details and the way the interior is arranged.
This mosque is located in the busy Fatih district and welcomes visitors outside of prayer times through separate entrances. It makes sense to visit early in the day when fewer people are moving around the bazaar area.
The courtyard of this complex has an unusual horseshoe shape that departs from the rectangular courtyard designs that were typically built at that time. This layout was a bold choice by the architects and sets the place apart from other mosques of that era.
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