April 21, 2010 01:04 by
haciThe Semsi Pasha Mosque (Turkish: Şemsi Paşa Camii) is an Ottoman mosque located in a large and densely populated district of Üsküdar, in Istanbul, Turkey.
The Şemsi Pasha Mosque is one of the smallest mosques to be commissioned by a grand vizier. Its miniature dimensions combined with its picturesque waterfront location make it one of the most attractive mosques in city. Şemsi Ahmet Pasha succeeded Sokollu Mehmet Pasha as grand vizier, and may have been involved in his murder. Mimar Sinan built this mosque for him in 1580.
The complex stands on a roughly rectangular site aligned east-west with the Bosporus shoreline. The square, single domed mosque abuts the coast at an angle, with the adjoining tomb of the donor projecting towards the waterfront. The garden, which over-looks the Bosphorus, is surrounded on two sides by thr medrese, with the mosque on the third side and the sea wall on the fourth. The mosque itself is unusual in that the tomb of Şemsi Ahmet is joined to the main building, divided from the interior by a grille. The chamber is crowned by a mirror vault at the height of the prayer hall drum. It has three casement windows facing the Bosporus and nine upper windows on three walls, adorned with colored glass.
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