Bodrum Mosque, Byzantine mosque in Eminönü, Turkey
The Bodrum Mosque is a rectangular building with a central dome made of brick and small windows set around its outer walls. It stands on the foundations of a large Roman rotunda that once served as a cistern.
The building was constructed in 920 as the Myrelaion Church during the Byzantine Empire and converted to a mosque following the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. This transformation allowed features from both periods to survive into the present day.
The interior displays how Byzantine church design was adapted to serve Islamic worship, with the architectural changes visible in the layout and decoration. This blend of two religious traditions shapes how the space looks and functions today.
The building opens daily for prayers and maintains separate entrances for men and women, with visitors required to remove shoes and dress modestly. Coming outside prayer times or during quieter hours makes it easier to move through and observe the space.
The building rests on the remains of a massive Roman rotunda that once functioned as a water storage tank, which inspired the place's name. Bodrum means basement in Turkish, a reference to this hidden layer beneath the visible structure.
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