Cihangir Mosque

Initially built by Süleyman I (the Magnificent) (1520-1566) in 1559 in commemoration of his deceased son, Prince Cihangir, the mosque underwent several processes of repair and restoration after having been exposed to a series of fires (1719 Fındıklı, 1765 Cihangir, 1771 Çivici Limanı). It was restored to its former glory by grand vizier Silahdar Ali Pasha of the Mahmud II period (1809-1839) in the aftermath of the 1823 Tophane fire. The façades, which clearly reflect the architectural characteristics of the period, reveal that the mosque underwent a thorough renovation akin (??) to rebuilding. Also visible in the photographs of James Robetson, the façades of the structure feature windows with triangular pediments in the Empire-style architecture, which gained popularity during the reign of Mahmud II. The dome, which is known to have been made of timber, is set on a corrugated tholobate that is common to late-Byzantine architecture and only seen in a limited number of mosques (Rum Mehmed Pasha, Rüstem Pasha and Zeynep Sultan Mosques) during the Ottoman period. The circular arches of the tholobate windows extend over the eaves-line and create a corrugated line. The present-day Cihangir Mosque was rebuilt by Abdülhamid II (1876-1909) in 1889.