Excursion Route 5 - From Edirnekapı to Fatih

Mihrimah Sultan Complex, Güzel Ahmet Paşa Tomb, Semiz Ali Paşa Madrasa, Mehmet Ağa Complex Nişancı Mehmet Paşa Complex, Mesih Mehmet Paşa Complex, Mimarbaşı Sinan Ağa Masjid, Hüsrev Paşa Tomb, Bali Paşa Mosque

The first stop on this route is Edirnekapı.  From the square, you can immediately view the magnificence of the dome of Mihrimah Sultan Mosque.  In an unprecedented way, not to be seen in other architectural works by Sinan, the dome rises in an imposing manner and dominates Edirnekapı with its monumental presence.  The complex of Mihrimah Sultan is now closed to visitors due to the restoration work that began in 2006.  The minaret was damaged during the 1999 Marmara earthquake and it is now being rebuilt.  The Tomb of Güzel Ahmet Pasha, who was Mihrimah Sultan’s son in law, is inside the Complex.  Güzel Ahmet Pasha rose to power to become the Grand Vizier following the death of Sokullu Mehmet Pasha.

Mihrimah Sultan Complex 

After seeing the tomb, you can pass by the bathhouse built by Semiz Ali Pasha, which has lost most of its original architectural features, and then find the madrasa.  Before reaching it, you will walk past a building being used as the Karagümrük Stadium.  The madrasa building is now in use as a tuberculosis prevention center and health clinic.

After your visit to the madrasa, you can come to the Mehmet Ağa complex at Çarşamba which has a very interesting story concerning the donor.   The process that made Mehmet Ağa, an Ethiopian by origin, the most influential Head Eunuch of the Ottoman Palace is worth knowing.  Before him, there was no tradition in the harem to appoint blacks as head eunuchs.  Mehmet Ağa was appointed as a harem eunuch when Murat III ascended to the throne. Mehmet Ağa quickly rose through the harem administration until reaching the position of Head Eunuch. thus making him a powerful authority.

An inside view of the Nişancı Mehmet Paşa Mosque

The walk towards Fevzi Pasha Avenue will take you to Nishancı Mehmet Pasha Mosque, located parallel to this avenue.  A vizier and a marksman, the mosque and the tomb Mehmet Pasha had built are from the last years of Sinan’s long life and career.  Therefore, it is thought that one of his master-builders may have applied Sinan’s designs in their construction. The donor, himself, inscribed the sultanate signature of Murat III, over the mosque entrance.  The tomb of Nishancı Mehmet Pasha is next to the mosque, but closed to visitors.

Following along Akşemsettin Avenue, you can reach Mesih Mehmet Pasha Mosque.   The feature that is striking as one enters the courtyard of the mosque is finding the open tomb of the Pasha in place of a fountain traditionally placed in the middle of the courtyard.  Eunuch Mesih Mehmet Pasha rose up to the level of grand vizier from his position in the treasury department. 

 Before walking to Akşemsettin Avenue from Vatan Avenue, the Mimarbaşı Sinan Ağa Mosque will be on your way, inside the park to the left.  It may not be Sinan’s most attractive work that you will visit on this route, yet as a small scale building among his charitable foundations, it represents Sinan’s modest nature.  Visiting the next two buildings that are near one another, you can experience an Istanbul sunset at Fatih.  The first one is the Tomb of Hüsrev Pasha, which is perhaps the most decorated of the 16th century tombs for viziers in Istanbul.  It is now under the auspices of the Directorate of Tomb Museums of Istanbul, in a run-down state of repair, awaiting restoration.  About 200 m from here is the second structure, the Bali Pasha Mosque, among the apartment buildings along the street.

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