Yeni Cami
إسطنبول
Yeni Cami is the great mosque of Eminönü, on the shore of the Golden Horn. Commissioned by two women of the court, it was begun in 1597 and finished in 1663, after a long pause.
Two sultanas and a long building site
Safiye Sultan, a very powerful woman at court, ordered the mosque in 1597. The project was begun by Davud Ağa, trained in the school of Mimar Sinan. Work stopped after a few years and stayed half-finished for decades.
In 1660 another great woman of the court, Turhan Sultan, had it restarted. In 1663 the mosque was finished. That is why it is called Yeni Cami: when it was finished, it was the most recent in the city.
What to see from the square
From the square you can clearly see the pyramid of grey domes. The largest is at the top, below it the half domes and then the small domes. In front there is a large courtyard with a portico. During prayer times we speak softly and leave room for those who come to pray: we admire it from here.
Eminönü square
Around the mosque the city rushes by: ferries, trams and families with shopping bags. Passers-by sit on the stairs to rest. Gulls and pigeons fly over the square: watch them, but don't feed them.
Locals come to buy their groceries at the nearby markets. Then they take the ferry to the other shore, which leaves from close by.
