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.