Şehzade Mehmet Külliyesi (Şehzade Mehmet Complex)

The Şehzade Mehmet Complex, located in the neighborhood of Şehzadebaşı in the district of Eminönü, is a mosque complex built by Süleyman the Magnificent for a son who died at a young age.

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Şehzadebaşı Cad. Fatih

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The Şehzade Mehmet Complex (Turkish: Şehzade Mehmet Külliyesi), located in the neighborhood of Şehzadebaşı, in the district of Eminönü, was commissioned by Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, for a son who died at a young age. The mosque’s construction, which was carried out by the great classical Ottoman architect Sinan, began in 1543. The complex is made up of five structures: The Şehzade mosque, the Şehzade Mehmet tomb, the Tabhane (winter quarters), the Rüstem Paşa tomb and a madrassa.

Enclosed by a central dome supported by four half-domes, the mosque has two, two-tiered minarets. The tomb of Şehzade Mehmet, which was completed before the mosque itself, is acknowledged as one of the best examples of Ottoman funerary architecture. The tomb also contains the graves of Şehzade Mehmet’s brother Cihangir, who also died at a young age, his sister Hümuşah and those of three other unidentified individuals. An Ottoman primary school and the Tabhane, which was used to house the mosque’s guests are found in the outer courtyard of the madrasa, built between 1546-1547.

Mosque is a place of worship for Muslims. It comes from the Arabic word 'masjid' which literally means "a place for prostration". Mosques are also places where Muslims come together for different purposes such as education, social gatherings, public meetings, exhibitions, lectures etc. Although there is no specific requirement for mosques in terms of their architecture, one can see some common features inside and outside of many mosques such as minarets, domes, ablution areas, prayer niche (mihrab), pulpit (minbar) and so on.

Muslims are obliged to perform the ritual worship 5 times a day. They are not required to attend a mosque for each of these prayers however in order to interact with the community they are encouraged to pray in congregation. Friday noon is the only time in a week when Muslims must definitely join the congregational prayer in a mosque after which they can continue their work, education or other commitments.

Azan or the call for prayer is a vocal announcement that one can hear from minarets 5 times a day. The call to prayer is made live -even early in the morning- by a person called 'muazzin'. The muazzins are usually chosen from people with loud and beautiful voices and trained over years to make this announcement beautifully and invite people to worship.
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