Ayazma Mosque

Sultan Mustafa III (r. 1757–1774), successor of Osman II and a son of Ahmed III, engaged in many building activities during his long reign that perpetuated the Ottoman Baroque style introduced under Mahmud I. The Ayazma Mosque was his first foundation and was built in honour of his mother, Mihrişah Kadın. Construction began in 1757–1758 and finished in 1760–1761. The identity of the architect is unconfirmed, but current scholarly opinion suggests it was Mehmed Tahir, who was subsequently the chief imperial architect from 1761 to 1784. Mustafa III later went on to commission the Laleli Mosque, a larger imperial mosque complex in the Fatih district of Istanbul. In August 2022 the Ayazma Mosque reopened for prayer after a lengthy restoration. == Architecture ==

In form, the Ayazma Mosque is essentially a smaller version of the Nuruosmaniye Mosque, signalling the importance of the Nuruosmaniye as a new model for Ottoman architects to emulate. The main structure is a single-domed prayer hall, flanked on the outside by a minaret. The mosque is richly decorated with Baroque carved stonework, especially in the mihrab and minbar. While the mosque is smaller than the Nuruosmaniye, it is relatively tall for its proportions, enhancing its sense of height. This trend towards height was pursued in later mosques such as the Nusretiye Mosque. The Ayazma Mosque differs from others mainly in the unique arrangement of its front façade, which consists of a five-arched portico reached by a wide semi-circular staircase. This arrangement is similar to a much smaller contemporary mosque built in Aydın in 1756, the Cihanoğlu Mosque. One detail of the Ayazma Mosque that reflects a popular trend in the 18th century is the presence of several small stone birdhouses carved on the exterior. Such birdhouses had appeared in the preceding century but in the Baroque period they became more ornate and were commonly attached to the exteriors of both religious and civil buildings. File:Istanbul Ayazma Mosque entrance to mosque 3366.jpg|Front portico of the mosque File:Ayazma Mosque DSCF4205.jpg|Exterior details on the side of the mosque File:Ayazma Mosque 0524.jpg|One of the stone-carved birdhouses attached to the outside of the mosque File:Istanbul Ayazma Mosque view of royal pavilion 0645.jpg|The imperial pavilion, an attached lounge and entrance reserved for the sultan File:Ayazma Mosque 0533.jpg|The historical plaque at the entrance to the mosque File:Istanbul Ayazma Mosque view from first floor 0669.jpg|Mosque interior, looking towards the mihrab and minbar File:Istanbul Ayazma Mosque mihrab side 0657.jpg|Interior view of the dome File:Istanbul Ayazma Mosque entrance side 0653.jpg|Interior, looking back towards the entrance, with the sultan's loge on the right File:Istanbul Ayazma Mosque mihrab 0650.jpg|The mihrab File:Istanbul Ayazma Mosque view looking up 3358.jpg|Grisaille paintwork (above) inside the mosque, likely dating from a 19th-century repainting of the decoration == See also ==