Dolmabahce Valide Sultan Mosque

Dolmabahce Valide Sultan Mosque

Located on the shore of Bosphorus in Dolmabahce, Bezmialem Valide Sultan Mosque -also called Dolmabahce Mosque (Dolmabahce Camii)- has to have one of the most unique architecture among all of the Ottoman mosques in Istanbul. The mosque was commissioned by Bezmialem Valide Sultan in 1852, who was the mother of Ottoman sultan Abdülmecid I. Bezmialem Valide Sultan passed away in 1853 and the mosque was finished in 1855 with Abdülmecid I’s financial aid.

Original name of the mosque is Bezmialem Valide Sultan Mosque, but it is known as Dolmabahce Mosque (Dolmabahce Camii) for neighbouring Dolmabahce Palace which was built only a year after the construction of the mosque.

Architect of the Dolmabahce Mosque was Garabet Balyan, who also supervised construction of the Dolmabahce Palace. The mosque’s architecture is a successful and classy blend of Baroque and Empire architectural styles. Main chamber of the mosque is relatively large and square in shape, each edge is 25 meters in length. Dolmabahce Mosque has two long minarets with one serefe (minaret balcony) each and they make them look like marble columns.

What makes the Dolmabahce Mosque unique and different that its circular window design. Such a circular window design was used for the first time in Ottoman architecture at the Dolmabahce Mosque. Cihangir Mosque dating to 1889 is another Ottoman mosque with similar circled window design.

Amazing facts about the Dolmabahce Mosque
Dolmabahce Mosque was first planned as the mosque of the Dolmabahce Palace and was built by same architect (Garabet Balyan); however, due to its monumentality and uniqueness it became separate from the palace.

Between 1948 and 1961 the Dolmabahce Mosque served as Naval Museum.

By the time it was built the mosque had a large courtyard, muvakkithane (time keeping house), and fountain. Its courtyard and fountain were destroyed in 1950s due to road construction and muvakkithane was moved to shore.

How to get to the Dolmabahce Mosque
Dolmabahce Mosque is located in Dolmabahce that is very close to Kabatas. It is only five minutes walk distance from Kabatas tram and funicular stations as well as Kabatas pier.

What else nearby?
Located between Besiktas and Kabatas, there a number of other sights in the area worth seeing, such as the Dolmabahce Palace, Dolmabahce Clock Tower, Palace Collections Museum, Sinan Pasha Mosque, and Istanbul Naval Museum.

Opening hours of the Dolmabahce Mosque
Dolmabahce Mosque (Dolmabahce Camii) is open from 9am-6pm every day, but closed at prayer times. There is no ticket price of the mosque, but donations are welcome.