Atik Valide 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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ReferenceKulturenvanteri↗

The Atik Valide Mosque, a 16th-century Ottoman imperial mosque designed by Mimar Sinan, crowns a hill above the Üsküdar district in Istanbul. Built between 1571 and 1586 for Nurbanu Sultan, wife of Sultan Selim II, the mosque underwent significant expansion during construction, originally planned as a modest single-minaret structure before evolving into a grander work completed three years after the patroness's death. Executed in Ottoman architectural style with materials including tile, granite, and marble, the mosque formed the centerpiece of an extensive complex that encompassed a madrasa, guest-rooms, and a double caravanseray, exemplifying the comprehensive pious foundations typical of Ottoman imperial patronage.