
Rustem Pasha Mosque
Sixteenth-century mosque by Mimar Sinan, famed for its extraordinary Iznik ceramic tilework.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Rüstem Pasha Mosque in Istanbul opens with an unlikely diagnosis: in 1539, rivals accused the low-born governor Rüstem of leprosy to block his marriage to Sultan Suleiman's daughter Mihrimah, until a court physician's examination turned up something else entirely. It follows Rüstem's rise to Grand Vizier and the mosque his widow commissioned from the imperial architect Mimar Sinan in his memory. Look up as you enter — the walls above are covered floor to ceiling in Iznik tiles.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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