Compared to many of Istanbul’s other mosques, Nuruosmaniye is quite new. It was built between 1748 and 1755.
While it shares some distinctive design features with other mosques in Istanbul, Nuruosmaniye Mosque was the first and largest mosque to be built in Baroque style. The prayer hall is covered with a single dome large dome—one of the largest domes built in Ottoman mosques—that is illuminated with 32 windows. Throughout the mosque are 174 windows which provide quite a bit of natural light. It’s also distinctive for its polyangular cloister, making it unique in Ottoman architecture. And its interior, while ornate, is a bit more restrained than some of the others.
The mosque complex also has a madrasa (religious school), imaret (soup kitchen), a library, a tomb, and a marble public water fountain. Recent restoration works also discovered another dozen rooms beneath the mosque.
Its construction was ordered and funded by Sultan Mahmud I (reigned from 1730 to 1754), who was also known as the Hunchback. He died before it was completed, but his brother, Sultan Osman III, who succeeded him to the throne, saw the project through during his brief reign. When it opened it was given the name Nur-u Osmanh, meaning ‘divine light of the Ottoman.’ The brothers were both interred nearby in Valide Sultan’s Tomb, next to the New Mosque and Spice Bazaar.
Photos of Nuruosmaniye Mosque
The courtard of Nuruosmaniye Mosque. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.
The mihrab niche. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.
Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.
Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.
One of the minarets, from below. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.
The dome over the prayer hall. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.
Looking out from the courtyard to one of the gates of the Grand Bazaar. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.
The courtyard. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.
The roof of the prayer hall. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.
Looking out at the bustle of one of the gates of the Grand Bazaar. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.
What to Know Before You Go
It stands next to Gate 1 (Nuruosmaniye Kapisi) of the Grand Bazaar.
Where to Next?
Travel Advice for Turkey
You can find the latest U.S. Department of State travel advisories and information for Turkey (such as entry visa requirements and vaccination requirements) here.
The British and Australian governments offer their own country-specific travel information. You can find the British Government's travel advice for Turkey here and the Australian Government's here.
Health & Vaccinations
The CDC makes country-specific recommendations for vaccinations and health for travelers. You can find their latest information for Turkey here.
