Orhan Gazi Bey Mosque

The religious building, built in 1331 during the reign of the second Ottoman Sultan Orhan Ghazi, stands out as being the first mosque in the city with a zawiyah plan scheme. This type of plan, which was first seen in Iznik in the early 1300s, is also named as ‘T-plan’ due to its longitudinal middle space and having volumes on both sides.

Orhan Ghazi Bey Mosque, which is considered as one of the first examples of early Ottoman architecture, is among the classics with its two sections in its mihrab, its iwans, which are frequently seen in Ottoman architecture, and its last Congregational place. The mosque, which is of great importance in terms of art history, is particularly noted for its colorful decorations. Interior decorations, Rumi folds and various decorations are among the interesting details of the mosque. Orhan Ghazi Bey Mosque, which is a simple and small structure in general, is approximately 17 and a half meters in length and 16 and a half meters in width.

Two minarets are known to have been added to Orhan Ghazi Bey Mosque, whose original minaret is currently visible in ruins, in 1889. In the meantime, it was damaged in 1413 and repaired in 1417, with details such as the year of construction are among those mentioned in the inscription.

In addition to its eaves, the walls of the mosque have distinctive features called as rosettes, and the walls are covered with rubble and brick. In addition, it can be seen that columns taken from Byzantine structures were used in the inner arches.