Mahmud Pasha Mosque

Mahmud Pasha Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Istanbul, was built in 867 according to the Arabic inscription above the main gate, decorated with spirally branching rumi. Although Hadikatü'l-Cevami states that the building was built on the site of a church whose name is unknown, there is no precise information about this. The building, made of cut stone, has a plan typical of houses with mosques and differs from other mosques of the time in some planning features.

On the majestic marble portal with muqarnas ornamentation on both sides, there is an eight-line repair inscription in Turkish with the date 1169, along with the construction inscription. The five-domed narthex with pointed arch openings previously had six columns, but in the 18th century, during repairs, they were covered with stone and became like supports. The sanctuary of the mosque is covered by two large domes located on the axis of the mihrab and surrounded by eleven U-shaped domes in three directions. To the north, between the narthex and the large domed space, there is a space covered by five domes arranged side by side. The central block with a muqarnas dome is connected to the main space by an arched opening. The segmented and flat dome blocks on both sides have no direct relation to the central space.