The New Mosque

This mosque (1597-1663) is a harmonious example of classic Ottoman architecture. The elegant building with two minarets owes its appearance to Valida Sultan Safia, an ambitious Albanian, wife of Sultan Murad III.

The construction of the religious complex to the greatest extent reflected the power of Safiye. The fact is that the place chosen for the construction of the mosque was located in the quarter of Karaite Jews resettled here from the other side of the Golden Horn. Unlike the ordinary inhabitants of the capital, the army and ulama were extremely unhappy with the enormous influence of Safiye on the sultan and more than once, though unsuccessfully, rebelled over this issue. In 1603, the construction of the mosque was suspended and only 50 years later resumed at the initiative of Khadije Turhan, the mother of Mehmed IV.

There is a mosque of the Sultanshi Mother - Yeni Jami in the old part of the city, near the Egyptian Bazaar. This is why it is visited more often than other mosques.