New Mosque

You have to love a place so ancient that the New Mosque is a building constructed in the 1600's. Our sense of history was constantly expanded in Istanbul.

The Yeni Cami or New Mosque was started in 1597 and completed in 1663. The exterior has sixty-six domes and semi-domes. The main dome is 36 meters high. The original complex included the mosque, hospital, primary school, public baths, fountains, and a market. The market is known today as the Spice Bazaar and the rents for the shops there help pay for the maintenance of the mosque.

The interior of the mosque is decorated with Iznik tiles as varied and stunningly beautiful as those in the Blue Mosque, Little Mosque, and Topkapi Palace.

After visiting the interior of the mosque we spent most of our last afternoon in Istanbul people watching. The main entrance was a popular place for visitors to pose for photos, and the adjacent large plaza hosted a rich variety of vendors, families, friends, and couples.

Small World Photos Photography

New Mosque