Mosque with Three Minarets’ Balconies(Üç Şerefeli Camii)

Mosque with Three Minarets’ Balconies, which has a symbol value among Edirne mosques, is the eye of local and foreign tourists. The historical mosque, whose construction started in 1433, is opened in 1447. Mosque with Three Minarets’ Balconies, built by II.Murat, is located in Edirne city center.It is located directly opposite side of famous Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Baths. In fact, this hammam is sometimes referred as ‘Üç Şerefeli Hamam(The baths with three minarets’ balcony)'.Mosque with Three Minarets’ Balconies offers passages from the classical and early periods of Ottoman architecture to a certain extent. Mosque with Three Minarets’ Balconies contains some architectural firsts. The central dome of the Mosque, which has managed to become an original and innovative mosque as of its plan, is around 24 meters. This dome sits on six pillars in total. There are black sections covered by domes on the side. It is aimed to expand the space with a certain acceleration towards the transverse through the preference of the transverse rectangular shape. This choice is considered as a first for that period. Later Mimar Sinan applied similar styles in many mosques in Istanbul. Mosque with Three Minarets’ Balconies is also a first in Ottoman architecture in terms of court of porch. Minarets are located in each corner of this porch. In this sense, the building is also a pioneer for later mosque planning. The monumental minaret of the Mosque, which has a very original structure with portico domes, is approximately 68 meters. In the minaret, zigzags consisted of stones and squares draw attention. There are sections called madrasa with clock, fountain and hazire (burial area reversed for special people especially in mosques or sufi lodges) within the mosque. Muslihuddin, one of the most successful architects of that period, plays a role in the construction process of the mosque. The mosque has been severely affected by many earthquakes throughout history. The structure, which suffered its greatest damage in the earthquake during III.Mustafa's reign, was repaired by the Sultan in the same year.