Bayezid II Mosque

Overview

Step out of the Grand Bazaar through its western gates, and the noise of the market gives way to a wide square full of pigeons. On one side, for example, stands the great gate of Istanbul University. On the other, at the same time, behind a row of trees, rise a gray dome and two minarets. This is the Bayezid II Mosque, the oldest imperial mosque in Istanbul that still looks much as it did when it was built. With a guide, join our Beyazıt tour.

The Bayezid II Mosque on Beyazıt Square

To begin with, the mosque stands on Beyazıt Square, near the ruins of the Roman Forum of Theodosius. It was the second great imperial complex built after the conquest of 1453. The first, the Fatih Mosque, was later destroyed by an earthquake and rebuilt in a new style. That is why Bayezid’s mosque is the oldest one to survive in more or less its original form.

History of the Bayezid II Mosque

Sultan Bayezid II, the son of Mehmed the Conqueror, built the mosque between 1500 and 1505. Around it, in turn, grew a whole complex, with a college, a large bath, a soup kitchen, a caravanserai and tombs, including his own. The architect, actually, was most likely Yakubşah ibn Islamşah. Later, Mimar Sinan repaired the building in 1573 and 1574. In the 19th century, visitors called it the Pigeon Mosque, because so many birds gathered here to be fed. After a long restoration from 2012, it reopened for prayer in 2020. For eight days on this theme, see our art and architecture tour of Turkey.

What to See at the Bayezid II Mosque

The courtyard

First, enter the courtyard, almost as large as the mosque itself. Here, twenty columns hold up its arcade: two of red porphyry, ten of green verd antique and six of pink granite. The floor is paved in colored marble, and 24 small domes cover the walkways.

The portal and the prayer hall

Next, look up at the marble portal with its gilded calligraphy. Inside, also, the plan follows Hagia Sophia on a smaller scale: a central dome flanked by two half-domes, with side aisles of small domes. Twenty windows ring the base of the dome, so the hall is full of light.

The tomb and the library

Behind the mosque, a small garden holds the tomb of Bayezid II and his daughter Selçuk Hatun. Nearby, too, the old soup kitchen became the State Library of Istanbul in 1882.

How to Visit the Bayezid II Mosque

In general, the T1 tram stops at Beyazıt, on the square. No ticket is needed, but avoid prayer times, and dress modestly.

Right beside the mosque, browse the old book bazaar of the Sahaflar, and look up at the Ottoman fire watchtower, Beyazıt Tower, in the university courtyard. We pass Beyazıt between the Grand Bazaar and the Süleymaniye Mosque. For the mosque it followed, see the Fatih Mosque, and for the Roman street nearby, the Column of Constantine.