Zal Mahmut Paşa Mosque and Complex

Zal Mahmut Paşa Mosque and complex to where we can access in a short time from the center of Eyüp, the historical district of Istanbul on the banks of the Golden Horn, is an Ottoman artifact famous for its tiles. The mosque and the complex were made to have been built by the Architect Sinan, who was the chief architect of the palace, by order of Zal Mahmut Paşa, an important statesman who served in high positions, and his wife, who was also the daughter of a Sultan, to architect Sinan.

The building complex consists of a mosque, two madrasahs, a fountain and a mausoleum. Next to the mausoleum, there is a burial area where the tombs of Zal Mahmut Paşa and his wife, who demised on the same day with him, exist. The flower-patterned decorations around the mihrab section with an alcove in front of which prayers performed with the Imam's lead attract attention. The marble pulpit (high sermon podium where the Friday sermon is recited) and the muezzin's gathering places (the high platform where the muezzin recites Maqam prayers) are among the pleasing details that stand out. The mosque with an almost square plan is one of its famous architect's different style experiments with its details.

When the madrasahs are examined, it is seen that there are 15 cells in one and 14 cells in the other. Zal Mahmut Paşa and his wife, who died on the same day, attract architectural attention with their double domes, which can be called huge shrines with wooden chests. It is not known who the third chest located here belongs to. Finally, the fountain made of cut stone has a classic appearance. The inscription on the Arch gives the date of construction as 1590.