The Ortakoy Mosque is a fantastic work of Ottoman architecture, and its founder was Sultan Abdulmejida. It is located on the very shore of the Bosphorus, in the Beşiktaş district. During the ride along the Bosphorus, you will experience it in the right way and it will leave a special impression on you. It is characterized by light tones and a sky blue dome. It was created in 1856 as a neo-baroque beauty among mosques and was built on the site of the ruins of the Kantemir Palace. It was built by the architects who worked on the Dolmabahce Palace and the Dolmabahce Mosque, one of them being Nigoğos Balyan.
Although it does not stand out for its size and is somewhat smaller compared to other mosques, its appearance, design and position make it prominent and very attractive to all visitors of this beautiful city. In Turkish, it is called Ortakoi Camii, and in translation it is called the Great Imperial Mosque of Sultan Abdulmejid.
The mosque originally had a brick dome, but since the quality of the brick was not adequate, it cracked over time, so the dome was reconstructed from concrete, which gave it a stronger and more beautiful appearance. In addition, throughout history, the mosque has been affected by earthquakes and fires, which led to new reconstructions, and all of this has made the mosque look timeless and magnificent today.
The mosque has large and tall windows that make it well lit inside. The colors that predominate in the interior are white marble and red brick, but there are also floral frescoes. What is cataclysmic about this mosque are the large chandeliers and the two large minarets on the outside. It is best to visit it in the morning or during sunset.
Author of the text:
Maja Glavaš, Bachelor with Honours in Communicology. Works in Tourism.
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Photo by Linus Mimietz on Unsplash
