SECTION XVI.
Of the Mosques of the Vezírs at Constantinople.
The most ancient of these is the mosque of Mahmúd Páshá, near the new bezestán, as large as an imperial mosque. It has three cupolas, three gates, and a spacious court. Over the principal gate there is written in Arabic: “May God sanctify this good place to us,” which is a chronograph.
The second is the mosque of Mollá Khair-ad-dín within the Corn-market, and, like the former, was built in the time of Sultán Mohammed II. When Khair-ad-dín was building it, he was one day disturbed in his meditations by the noise of a stork; he exclaimed, “Begone ye noisy birds; fly without the town;” and since that time no stork has ever been seen within the walls of Constantinople, though numbers of them are to be found in the suburbs and neighbouring villages.
The mosque Kahríeh, near the Adrianople gate, was originally a church. Khoajeh Mustafá Páshá, the vezír of Sultáns Mohammed and Báyazíd II., built the large mosque near the Selivrí gate in the year 950 (1548). It is surrounded by a yard, in which, it is said, are buried all the heroes who fell during the siege of Constantinople by Hárún-ar-rashíd. It is a mosque of great sanctity. The chained fig-tree (zinjírlí injír), which stands in the court, was so called, because, when nearly split and decayed, it was chained up by a pious man. The imáret, convent, and college of this mosque, are well attended.
The mosque of Fírúz-ághá near the At-maidán, has one cupola, and is also well attended.
In the Chehár-shenbeh bázár (Wednesday market) is the mosque of Mohammed, the ághá of Sultán Murád IV.
In the Uzún-chárshí (long market) is the mosque of Ibráhím Páshá, the cupola of which is constructed of wood.
The mosque of Yúnus Beg Terjimán is near the Fat’híeh, and has a chronograph, giving the date of its erection and the name of its founder.
The Ouch Básh (three heads), near Zinjírlí Kapú, is so called because it was built by a barber who shaved three heads for one small piece of money, and, notwithstanding, grew so rich that he was enabled to build this mosque. It is a small but peculiarly sanctified mosque; the inscription expresses the date 929 (A.D. 1522).
The mosque of Sana’allah Efendí, near the Kirk-chesmeh (forty fountains), was destroyed by fire, but was restored in 1013 (1662).
The mosque of Kúrekjí-báshí, near the Silivrí gate, has, in the south-east corner, a dial (míkát) which points out the time with the greatest exactness both in summer and winter.
The Balát-jámi’ (of the palace), within the Balát Kapú, was built in the time of Sultán Suleïmán, by Farrukh Kehiyá, Sinán being the architect. On the exterior of the south-east wall, an able artist has painted all the difficult passes and stations on the road from Jerusalem to Egypt, and thence to Mecca and Medina.
Near the mosque of Sultán Selím is that of the convent of Sívársí Efendí. It has a cistern supported by six columns, but having no water it is now used by the silk spinners.
The Ak-shems-ad-dín, near the custom-house, on the land side, is a mosque in which the prayers offered up are always accepted by Heaven; it is on that account frequented day and night.
The mosque of the Azabs, within the Corn-market, was built by Elwán Chelebí, in the time of the Conqueror. It is commonly called the Shiftálú Jámi’ (peach mosque), because a peach tree grew out of the south-east wall, which was afterwards destroyed by fire.
The mosque of A’áshik Páshá is also much frequented.
The Altí-boghácheh Jámi’ (six cakes mosque), near the hammám of the muftí, was built by the chief baker of Mohammed II., Jibbeh Alí, who used to supply the emperor, as he did Sultán Báyazíd, with six cakes daily.
The mosque of Kara Pír Páshá, near the Zírek-báshí, on an elevated spot: this has a cistern, supported by three hundred columns, and containing water delicious as that of Paradise.
The mosque near the At-bázár (horse-market) was that in which, during the reign of Mohammed II., the twelve Janissary colonels, who every night patroled the city, assembled for evening prayers.
The mosque of the mír-ákhor (master of the horse), near the Seven Towers and the Súlúmonástir, was also formerly a convent, built by the architect Sinán.
The mosque of Khádim Ibráhím, the grand vezír of Suleïmán, within the Selivrí gate. The court is full of trees. It is a fine mosque.
The mosque of Dávud Páshá, near the Altí-marmar (six marbles), was built by one of the vezírs of Sultán Báyazíd II. It has a spacious court, and a hall of justice attached to it.
The mosque of Jerráh Mohammed Páshá, with six minárehs, was built by one of the vezírs of Sultán Ahmed I., near the Evret-bázár (women market).
The mosque of Khosrou Páshá, near the Ak-seráï, is a neat mosque.
The mosque of old Alí Páshá, near the column of Táúk-bázár (the poultry), is very commodious.
The mosque of Nishánjí Páshá is situate near the Kúm-kapú (sand gate).
The mosque of Ahmed Páshá, the grand vezír of Sultáns Selim and Suleïmán, is very large, like an imperial one, and is built upon a small hill within the Top-kapú (cannon-gate).
The mosque of Bairám Páshá, the vezír of Sultán Murád IV., is on an elevated spot, near that of the conqueror, and ascended by a flight of steps.
The mosque of the great Nishánjí Páshá, near Keskíndedeh, is built in an elegant style like those of the Sultáns. The founder is buried in an adjoining vault.
The mosque of Háfez Páshá, near that of Mohammed II. The founder of this mosque had a dream, in which the conqueror appeared to him, and demanded of him how he dared to erect a mosque so near his own, thus taking away the people who attended it? The conqueror was then about to kill him, when Háfez Ahmed awoke. He died seventy days after this dream, and, as he was carried to the tomb, a stone fell upon him from the mosque of Sultán Mohammed, and cut his head as if it had been severed by the sword.
The mosque of Khalíl Páshá is also near that of Sultán Mohammed II.
The mosque of Tavásh Mesíh Páshá is also near the above, in the market of Alí Páshá. Its founder was taken from the chamber of cellar-pages (kílár), in the time of Murád III., and made governor of Egypt, and afterwards grand vezír.
The mosque of Bálí Páshá is a lofty building, near the mosque of Emír Najárí, and was built by Sinán.
The mosque of Rustam Páshá, the vezír of Soleïmán, in that part of the town called Takht-ul-kala’, is ornamented with glazed tiles. It is beautiful beyond the powers of description. On all sides it is surrounded with shops.
The mosque of Yavursár, in the corn-market, has one cupola, but no chronograph. It was built by my grandfather.
The mosque of the corn-market was built by the lieutenant of police in the time of Sultán Soleïmán. It is situate without the corn-market, on the sea-shore, and was built by Sinán. Being decayed, it was repaired by Kara Chelebí Zádeh. It stands on an elevated spot, has a lofty cupola, six shops, several warehouses, and a minaret, which in point of elegance surpasses all others in Constantinople.
The mosque of the Válideh of Sultán Othmán II. is near the Ak-seráï, and was built by the famous architect Khoajeh Sinán.
The mosque of the famous architect himself is near that of Sultán Báyazíd.
The mosque of the Kádhí Asker Abdu-r-rahmán Efendí, by Sinán.
The mosque of Hájí Evhad Allah, at the Seven Towers, by the same architect.
The mosque of Khádim Mahmúd Aghá, the kapú ághá, or chief of the white eunuchs, is near the Akhor-kapú (stable-gate). He was the ághá of Sultáns Soleïmán and Selím II.
The mosque of Khoajeh Khosrou Beg, is near that of Khoajeh Mustafá Páshá, and was built by Sinán.
The Khátún-jámi’ (mosque of the lady) is near the Hammám of Súlí Monástir; also the work of Sinán.
Near the fountain Oskoplí, at the place where seven streets meet (which is not the case in any other part of Constantinople), stands the square built mosque of Defterdár Soleïmán Chelebí.
The mosque of Harem Chávush, near the new garden, built by Sinán; who also built the mosque near the Kádhí-cheshmeh (fountain of the judge), and called it after his own name.
The mosque of Akhí-chelebí is in the fruit market, and was built by Sinán.
The Old Mesjids, or small Mosques of Constantinople.
Sultán Mohammed II. alone consecrated one hundred and seventy mesjids at Constantinople.
The mesjid of the Crimea, near the old barracks; that of Mohí-ad-dín, near the mosque of Mohammed II.; Khárájí Beg, near the corn-market, over the door of which the architect has formed most ingeniously, with red and white bricks, “There is no god but God; Mohammed is his Prophet.” The mesjid of Sáleh Páshá, near the corn-market; of Haider Páshá, in the same neighbourhood; of Hájí Hasan, near the last, built by Sinán; of Demír Khán, near the cold-well; of Hámid Efendí, with a chronograph expressing 985; the Arabajílar, near the corn-market; of Pápás Oghlí, within the corn-market; the Bárhisár, within the gate Jebbeh Alí; the Revání, near the Forty Fountains.
The mesjids built by Sinán are: the Rustam Páshá, at Yení-bághcheh; the Sinán Páshá, in the same place; the Muftí Cheví Zádeh, at the Cannon-gate; that of his own name, at Yení-bághcheh; that of Emír Alí, near the custom-house, on the land side; the Uch-básh (three heads), near the above; the Defterdár Sheríf Zádeh; the Sirmákesh, at the top of Yení-bághcheh, near Lutfí Páshá; the Khoajehgí Zádeh, near Mohammed II.; the Takíájí Ahmed Chelebí, near the Selivrí-gate; the Dabbágh Hájí Hamza, at the Aghá’s meadow; the mesjid of the lady of Ibrahim Páshá, near the Kúm-kapú; the mesjids of the goldsmiths; of the tailors; of the Aghá, at St. Sophia; of Sheikh Ferhád, near Lanka-bostán; of Kurekjí Báshí, without the Kúm-Kapú; of Yáyá Báshí, within the Fener-gate; of Abd-sú Báshí, near the mosque of Selím I.; of Husain Chelebí; of Hájí Eliás; of La’l Zádeh Dámád Chelebí; of Dokhání-Zádeh, near old Mustafá Páshá’s mosque; of Kádhí-Zádeh, near Chokúr-hammám; of the gun factory, in the corn-market; of the Seráï Aghásí, without the Adrianople-gate; of Eliás-Zádeh, without the Cannon-gate; of the Sarráf-Zádeh, in the same quarter; and of Hamdullah Hamídí Chelebí, at Súlí Monástir. All these mesjids were built by the famous architect, old Sinán, the builder of the mosque of Sultán Soleïmán, who erected no fewer than three thousand and sixty buildings, consisting of kháns, mosques, imárets, colleges, schools, palaces, &c. It was he who built the round cupola, entirely of marble, for his monument, near the mosque of Sultán Soleïmán, in the corner of the palace of the ághá of the Janissaries, adjoining the Fountain-house. He died one hundred and seventy years old. On the stone placed at his head is an inscription in letters of gold, in the Kara-hisárí Hasán Chelebí hand, which is a most exquisite performance.
There are many other mosques and mesjids in Constantinople, but those which we have described are the most remarkable for their architecture.