LALELI RELIGIOUS COMPLEX (LALELI KÜLLIYESI)

Begun at the time of Mustafa III in 1759 by the architect Mehmed Tahir Ağa, it was completed in 1763. Composed of a mosque, a public fountain, a mausoleum, a candle factory, a han of horsemen, a covered market, a fountain and an observatory distributed in no precise order and built in stone and brick, this ensemble is also in the Baroque style. The mosque, built above a first level where the shops were built, has a central space topped by a dome supported by six half-domes. A large public fountain is installed directly on the street. It is covered by a dome supported by 6 columns, the space between them being closed by bronze fences. The marble cornices are carved. The hexagonal mausoleum where the Mustafa III and Selim II catafalques are located is covered by a dome and bordered by a three-part peristyle. The mausoleum is covered with 16th century ceramic panels and decorated with carvings. The popular canteen is located to the north of the outer courtyard, around which its rooms and former refectories have been aligned. Also located to the north, the Han des Cavaliers is a two-storey building, composed of rooms arranged around a rectangular courtyard bordered by a covered gallery. The market, built directly under the mosque and its courtyard, was built around 12 supporting pillars.

The Tulip Mosque. In Baroque style and very richly ornamented, it was built under Mustafa III, between 1759 and 1764, by the architect Mehmed Tahir Ağa. The courtyard is bordered by a covered peristyle surmounted by 18 domes supported by 14 columns. An ablutions fountain with 8 columns is placed in the middle. The large dome covering the prayer room is supported by 6 half-domes on the perimeter, it is illuminated by white and coloured glass windows. The mihrab (niche) and minbar (pulpit) are made of porphyry. The building has two minarets with a single circular balcony. The mausoleum of Laleli, built next to the mosque, is covered inside with 16th century Iznik ceramic tiles. This monument, covered with a dome, contains the catafalques of Sultans Mustafa III and Selim III, as well as the remains of four other dignitaries. The dome is covered with friezes containing some verses from the Qur'an, and verses from Selim III are calligraphed on the walls.