Rüstem Pasha Mosque

About Rüstem Pasha Mosque

Mosque in İstanbul, Turkey

The Rüstem Pasha Mosque is a small Ottoman mosque with an outsized reputation, tucked above the Hasırcılar (strawmat weavers') market in the Tahtakale quarter of Fatih, a short walk from the Spice Bazaar in Eminönü. It was commissioned in the name of Rüstem Pasha, Grand Vizier under Sultan Suleiman I and husband of his daughter Mihrimah Sultan, designed by the imperial architect Mimar Sinan and completed around 1563. What sets it apart from every other mosque in Istanbul is its İznik tilework, which covers almost every vertical surface inside and under the entrance porch. Tulips, carnations, pomegranates and geometric patterns in red, cobalt and turquoise make this one of the richest surviving displays of İznik ceramics from the workshops' golden age. The prayer hall sits on a raised platform above a row of shops and vaults whose rents once endowed the mosque, so you climb a narrow stair from the market to reach it. It remains a working neighbourhood mosque used by local traders rather than a museum, and stepping inside is a quiet contrast to the bustle below. It fits easily into an Eminönü walk together with the Spice Bazaar and the Süleymaniye Mosque on the hill above.

Where:

Istanbul, Türkiye