Büyük Mecidiye Mosque
Ornate waterfront mosque in a blend of Neoclassical and Ottoman styles, rising above the Bosphorus.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Büyük Mecidiye Mosque in Istanbul follows Sultan Abdülmecid I, the reforming nineteenth-century ruler and skilled calligrapher who commissioned this Bosphorus-front mosque from the Armenian Balyan family and, inside, wrote part of the minbar's calligraphy in his own hand. It traces the building's near-misses, including an 1894 earthquake, a dangerous lean and a 1984 fire, and the blend of Ottoman and European style that sets it apart from any other mosque in the city.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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