MOSQUES OF THE BOSPHORUS
The beauties of the Bosphorus strait which winds
through Istanbul and on to the Black Sea have been praised in lyric
terms by countless writers over the centuries.
Its picturesque shores became the favourite place
to spend the hot summer months for sultans and subjects alike, and
waterfront palaces and mansions sprang up along the strait. This
was why the 20th century poet Yahya Kemal described the Bosphorus
as the ‘summer capital’.
Mosque minarets stand sentry duty in all the villages
along the strait, but attention is rarely paid to these usually
small and modest mosques. As novelist Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar commented,
‘theirs is not an imposing sultanate like Beyazid, Süleymaniye
or Sultanahmet. These are tiny mosques which seem to melt into the
privacy of the city.’ Indeed, if it were not for their minarets
they would hardly be distinguishable from the houses around them.
Most of the scores of mosques built for the Muslim
communities which settled in the Bosphorus villages are like old
but wise men with bent backs waiting patiently for our attention.
Let us begin our tour at Üsküdar on the Asian shore at
the southern mouth of the Bosphorus, and travel north as far as
Beykoz. Our first stop is Silahtar Abdurrahman Aga Mosque, also
known as Pasalimani Mosque, on Pasalimani Caddesi which links Üsküdar
to Kuzguncuk. This mosque was built by the armourer to Mustafa III
in 1766. It is a fevkani or two-storey mosque, with the mosque proper
on the upper floor. The ceilings and floors are of wood. On the
southwest face of the minaret plinth is a sundial bearing the date
1766. Next we come to the charming Üryanizade Mescit next to
Cemil Molla Kösk. This small mescit (a mosque not used for
Friday prayers) resembles a miniature ‘yali’ or waterfront
house, and was built by Üryanizade Ahmet Esat Efendi, seyhülislam
(chief of the doctors of canonical law) to Abdülhamid II (1876-1909).
On the ground floor of this timber mosque is a boathouse.
Another interesting feature is the stubby minaret with a balcony
in the form of a pavilion. From Çengelköy, which is
one of the few places on the Bosphorus to have preserved its former
character in parts, we go to Kuleli. Here Kuleli Military College
looks just the same as it did when Thomas Allom illustrated it in
his engravings in the early 19th century. Next to it is one of the
loveliest Bosphorus mosques, Kaymak Mustafa Pasa Mosque, built in
1720 by Kaymak Mustafa Pasa, son-in-law to Nevsehirli Ibrahim Pasa.
This rectangular stone mosque with a wooden roof was extensively
restored in recent years. The portico and royal gallery were added
in 1837. On the seafront next to the quay is the unassuming Vaniköy
Mosque, built in 1665 by Vani Mehmet Efendi. Mahmut I (1730-1754)
added a royal gallery to the rectangular mosque, which has masonry
walls and a pitched roof. Now we come to Göksu, a favourite
picnic and excursion place in the 19th century.
Here we find Anadolu Hisari Mosque, also called
Fatih Mosque, again of the two-storey type with a royal gallery
built by Sultan Mehmet II (1451-1481) according to Hüseyin
Ayvansarayî in his book entitled ‘Hadikatül Cevami’.
This mosque was originally on the seafront, but rebuilt in its present
position when the new road between Hisar and Kanlica was constructed.
Next to Kanlica quay, where rowing boats of all
colours are moored, is Iskender Pasa Mosque, one of the smaller
but charming works of the greatest 16th century Ottoman architect
Mimar Sinan. It has a wooden portico and stone walled courtyard,
and in the grounds are the tomb of the founder and a horologe room.
Leaving behind this district famous for its beauty on moonlit nights,
we come to Beykoz, the last stop on the Asian shore. In the square
here the Fountain of Ishak Aga is more striking than the mosque.
This is one of the so-called Ten Fountains, and
the sound of running water makes a pleasant sound as the elderly
men waiting for prayer time sit in conversation under the plane
tree. Beykoz Mosque was originally built by Bostancibasi Mustafa
Aga, but rebuilt completely in 1809 like so many other old mosques.
It is another two-storey mosque, with a wooden roof and portico,
and has a horologe room.
Now we crossed the Bosphorus to the European shore
and passing the seething crowds of Ortaköy come to Kuruçesme,
a name which means ‘dry fountain’. Although the sister
of Köprülüzade Fazil Ahmet Pasa had the fountain
repaired so that its water flowed again, the name remained. The
mosque on the landward side of the road here is the 15th century
Tezkirecibasi Osman Mosque. Built of travertine stone, it has shops
on the ground storey. The pulpit, ceiling and floor are of wood,
and outside is a fountain adorned with Seljuk stars and cypress
motifs.
From Kuruçesme, where once royal permission
was needed to live, we go north to Arnavutköy, famous for its
strawberries. Next to the historic police station is Tevfikiye Mosque
built by Mahmut II in 1832. Since the Bosphorus current is at its
strongest here, the mosque is also known as Akinti Burnu (Cape of
the Current) Mosque. It is built over a basement floor, with masonry
walls and a wooden roof. There is a portico, royal gallery and horologe
room.
Next we come to Bebek, one of the most popular places
to live on the Bosphorus. Bebek Mosque was originally built in 1725
by Damat Ibrahim Pasa and dedicated to Ahmet III. When it fell into
disrepair it was demolished and rebuilt in the early 20th century
by Mustafa Hayri Efendi, director of pious foundations. The new
mosque was designed by chief state architect Kemalettin Bey in the
neo-classical Turkish style. It is a little mosque with a single
dome and three-bay portico.
Our next stop is Kulle-i Cedide, better known as
Rumelihisari. Here are two mosques of interest, the first Haci Kemalettin
Mosque, otherwise known as Çarsi Mosque. This was originally
a mescit (a small mosque not used for the Friday prayers and without
a minaret), but converted into a mosque in 1743 by Mahmut I. It
is a two-storey building with restaurants on the ground floor, masonry
walls and a wooden roof. In front of it is a fountain dated 1777.
The second mosque here is Ali Pertek Mosque at the bottom of the
hill opposite the old landing stage. Also known as Hamam Mosque,
its founder was a Turkish sea captain, Pertek Ali Bey. Built of
rubble stone, hewn stone and brick, there is a fountain at the corner
of the south wall known as Rakim Pasa Fountain.
Passing Baltalimani Mosque, whose original character
was lost in 20th century repairs, we come to Emirgan, famous for
its park with pretty pavilions. This district is named after Emirguneoglu,
who surrendered the Fortress of Revan to Murat IV in 1635 without
a fight.
He was rewarded by the rank of pasa and in Istanbul
took the name Yusuf Pasa. Emirgan Mosque faces the famous spreading
plane tree of Emirgan, under which writers and intellectuals used
to gather for conversation in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
It was founded in 1781 by Abdülhamid I in memory of his son
Mehmet who died at an early age and his mother Hümasah Kadin.
It was built on the site of the magnificent waterfront palace of
Emirguneoglu Yusuf Pasa, and rebuilt during the reign of Mahmut
II. It is a square mosque with a wooden roof and adjoining the eastern
façade is a two-storey wooden hünkâr kasri (royal
pavillion used by the sultan when he visited the mosque). The horologe
room next to the fountain is now occupied by a snack bar.
A little further on we come to the deep bay of Istinye,
once known as the Little Golden Horn, where there were shipyards
in Ottoman times. Today there are modern motor boats and yachts
moored all around the bay, overlooking which is Mahmut Çavus
Mosque.
Beyond Istinye is Yeniköy, a pretty and prosperous
village since the eighteenth century. The name, ‘new village’,
was given by Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent in the 16th century.
One of the loveliest mosques here is Osman Reis Mosque near the
quay, founded by sea captain Osman Aga. After being repaired on
numerous occasions, it was rebuilt entirely by Ahmet Arif Pasa in
1903, and is regarded as one of the most charming examples of neo-classical
Turkish architecture. The interior walls are covered with stencilled
decoration.
In Büyükdere, where long centuries ago
the crusader army is said to have camped in the shade of no longer
extant great plane trees, there are two buildings we should see.
The first is the 16th century Cerrah Mahmut Efendi Mosque on Çayirbasi
Caddesi. This masonry walled, wooden roofed mosque has a fountain
in its graveyard wall built in 1783 by High Admiral Cezayirli Hasan
Pasa. The second mosque of interest here is Kara Kethüda Mosque.
From the shore only the minaret and part of the roof are visible
through the trees.
This two-storey mosque has masonry walls and a wooden
roof. The mihrap niche is decorated with Kütahya tiles. Extensive
alterations have been carried out over the years. Sariyer, famous
for its pastries, puddings and ice-cream, is the last stop on our
tour. This district has always been a popular summer retreat, with
its green woods and meadows, clean air and therapeutic spring water.
Ali Kethüda Mosque was repaired in 1720 by Maktul Mehmet Aga.
When the new coastal road was built on piles along this part of
the Bosphorus a few years ago, the mosque lost its position on the
seafront. It is a rectangular building, with masonry walls and a
wooden roof. As we look at the lovely view from Sariyer landing
stage for the last time and prepare to wend our way back, we can
remember what Hüseyin Cahit said of the Bosphorus: ‘We
should experience this place as a land of poetry and dreams, in
the scenery and customs of its own past and life.’
* Murat Kurtulus is a journalist.
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