Bayezit Mosque

---

Native Name: Beyazit Camii

Bayezit Mosque is located at Beyazlt Square next to Sahaflar Bazaar . It was built by Bayezid (1481¬1512) between 150I and 1506 . The mosque has a courtyard to the northwest with an area nearly equal to that of the mosque itself . It is widely believed that architect Hayreddin planned it , however some believe that Yakup Shah is the architect as well .

The mosque itself is about 40 meters square , with a 17 meter diameter central dome that is held by semi-domes on all four sides . Monumental entrance portals on each side are found in the courtyard . The courtyard which is a colonnaded peristyle has twenty ancient columns of porphyry , verd antique and granite salvaged from churches and ancient ruins , with 24 small domes , and with a pavement in polychrome marble . The mosque is important as it represents an early age classical Ottoman architecture .

The Inner courtyard with arcade and a marble floor has an elegant fountain in the middle . The dome of the fountain is carried on a green porphyry . Red porphyry stones belonging to the Byzantine period are scattered among the marble in the courtyard . The column bodies of different color and type in the arcades are from Byzantine period as well .

The interior of the mosque is lit with twenty windows at the base of the central dome and seven windows on each semi-dome , as well as two tiers of windows on the walls . Arches settled on four feet carry the dome which is supported by tow half domes on the axis of Kiblah . The inner location is decorated with stone crafts , wooden crafts , in addition to rich pen crafts .

There are tombs of Sultan Bayezid II , his daughter Selçuk Hawn and Grand Vizier Reşid Pasha (19th century) located on the altar (Mihrab) side of the mosque . There were people of the palace as well as important officials and their families buried in the graveyard from 18th century until the beginning of 20th century . This area has also a other entrance from Sahaflar Bazaar .

Slbyan mektebi (primary school in the neighborhood) is another building of Külliye that is made in 1507 and is important because it is the oldest school building in the city . The school is located further from the tombs and now houses the Istanbul Municipal Library .

On the right wing , there are buildings across the exit of Beyazit Door of Sahaflar belong to the alms house and caravanserai of the Külliye . Part of of alms house structure is Beyazit Government Library today . It is considered the first general library founded by the state and has been inaugurated on 24 June 1884 with the contribution of Abdulhamit II . There is a madrasah which was built with Külliye on the west of Bayezit Mosque and is serving today as Calligraphy Art Museum .