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.[1] The Ayazma Mosque was his first foundation and was made in honour of his mother, Mihrişah Kadın. Construction began in 1757–1758 and finished in 1760–1761.[2][3] 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.[4] The mosque is located on a hillside overlooking the Bosphorus shore in Üsküdar. Mustafa III later went on to commission a larger imperial mosque complex in the Fatih district of Istanbul, known as the Laleli Mosque.[5]

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 at this time.[6] 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.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9][6] This arrangement is similar to another contemporary mosque built in Aydın in 1756, the Cihanoğlu Mosque.[2] One minor detail of the Ayazma Mosque that was recurrent in the 18th century is the small birdhouse carved in stone on the exterior. Such birdhouses were made in the preceding century but in the Baroque period they become more ornate and are commonly attached to the exteriors of both religious and civil buildings.[10]

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  Front portico of the mosque
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  Exterior details on the side of the mosque
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  One of the stone-carved birdhouses attached to the outside of the mosque
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  View of the mosque on the skyline of Üsküdar