Ortakoy Mosque in Istanbul, a destination for worship and tourism

It is a mosque and resort of the Ottoman sultans, with its small size, was able to grab great fame and an important place in the historical and tourist map of Istanbul.
Ortakoy Mosque or the Great Mecidiye Mosque and you cannot consider yourself to have visited Istanbul if you do not take a souvenir photo at its point, the sign that you see wherever you go in the city
Because Ortakoy Mosque is your most important memorial photo in the album of Istanbul trip

Construction History

Ortakoy Mosque was built in 1853 A.D. by order of Sultan Abdul Majid, and from him it took its name, as its construction lasted for two years, and the most important designers of that era, the architect “Nkogoth Balian”, was chosen to supervise and design it.
Where he chose his location in the stronghold of residence of the sultans directly on the bank of the strait.

The mosque was initially dedicated to the Sultan and his entourage, and later opened to the public.
Ortakoy Mosque was subjected to demolition and destruction several times as a result of the weakness of its foundations, the most important of which is after the earthquake of 1894 AD, which resulted in the demolition of a large part of it, and it was restored and its foundations were strengthened after that in 1960 AD

Unfortunately, a fire broke out in 1984 AD which left extensive damages in it to be completely and finally restored after that to its present condition and appearance today

Architectural design and sections

The exterior design of the mosque is clearly Baroque in style, and the total mosque consists of two forums or two sections, the Sultan’s forum and the mosque block, where the prayer and worship area.
The advantage of its external design lies in the shape of its arched walls inward and its two minarets, which are distinguished by a square shape, different from the rest of the minarets of Ottoman mosques, which are usually cylindrical.
Going towards the inside of the mosque, the seal of Sultan Abdul Majeed appears on its entrance, and his name is clear to indicate its builder.
As for the inside of the mosque, it is distinguished by the mosaic that dominates the decoration of the mosque from the inside, especially the pink mosaic that adorns the interior of the mosque’s dome walls, and it’s mihrab too
Like any Ottoman mosque, the traditional and Islamic Ottoman decorations got their share of the mosque’s interior decorations.
But this mosque has the spirit of the strait reflected in its interior, as its high glass windows reflect the brilliance of the strait lights throughout the day, making the experience of praying in it different and wonderful.

Mosque location

Ortakoy Mosque is distinguished by its location, from which it derives its name and its historical and touristic position, as it is in the middle of the most important areas in Istanbul, Europe, such as the Dolmabahce Palace and the famous Bebek coast.
The mosque is located in the Besiktas district in Ortakoy directly on the Bosphorus and can be clearly seen and distinguished even from the Asian bank of Istanbul.