Arab Istanbul Mosque
Istanbul, Turkey
Open to visitors
The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.
Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.
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The Arab Mosque in Istanbul's Karaköy quarter is a rare surviving example of medieval Gothic architecture in the city. Originally built as a Roman Catholic church by Dominican friars in 1325, possibly above an earlier chapel dedicated to Saint Paul, the structure was converted into a mosque by the Ottomans between 1475 and 1478 during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II. It subsequently became known as the Galata Mosque before Sultan Bayezid II granted it to Muslim refugees from Al-Andalus who fled the Spanish Inquisition in 1492, after which it acquired its current name. Though altered during the Ottoman period, the building retains its distinctive medieval character amid Byzantine and Ottoman architectural influences.
Movement
- Built
- Type
- mosque
- Place
- Istanbul, Turkey
This building on
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Location