Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque

History

The Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque was built by Sultan Abdülhamid II in 1884–1886, next to the Yıldız Palace complex in Beşiktaş. It was the court mosque where the sultan performed the Friday selamlık — the ceremonial procession to prayer. On 21 July 1905, a famous attack took place in front of the mosque: a bomb in a cart was set to kill the sultan as he left Friday prayers. Abdülhamid II survived — delayed by a conversation — but 26 people were killed and dozens wounded. The mosque is regarded as the last sultanic mosque of Istanbul, closing the imperial tradition that runs from the Süleymaniye to the end of the 19th century. It reopened in 2017 after a restoration.

Architecture

The building is rectangular in plan and in an eclectic late-Ottoman style: an outer neo-Gothic façade combines with Eastern, Moorish-Andalusian motifs inside — the mosque has no single 'pure' style. It has a single minaret. Its appearance reflects the taste of Abdülhamid II's court for blending Western and Eastern forms; beside the mosque is a two-storey imperial pavilion linked to the selamlık ceremony. The building brings to a close the line of sultanic mosques of Istanbul begun by the 16th-century masters.

Facts

• Built by order of Sultan Abdülhamid II in 1884–1886, next to Yıldız Palace. en.wikipedia.org
• Eclectic style: an 'Ottomanised' neo-Gothic façade outside and Moorish-Andalusian motifs inside. middleeasteye.net
• On 21 July 1905 an assassination attempt against the sultan took place in front of the mosque as he left Friday prayers: Abdülhamid II survived, and 26 people were killed. en.wikipedia.org
• It is regarded as the last sultanic mosque of Istanbul, closing the imperial tradition of earlier sultans. middleeasteye.net
• After Abdülhamid II's deposition in 1909 it remained the chief sultanic mosque: Mehmed V and Mehmed VI prayed here. ru.wikipedia.org

Photographs

Sources

• en.wikipedia.org
• middleeasteye.net
• en.wikipedia.org
• commons.wikimedia.org
• Google Maps