Laleli Mosque

Built for Sultan Mustafa III in the 1760s, this mosque in the Laleli district is a mature example of Ottoman Baroque, blending curved cornices and elaborate stonework with a classical domed plan. It is raised on a high vaulted platform housing shops whose rents once funded the complex, an arrangement that also created a shaded undercroft still used by traders. Coloured marbles and a fountain court add richness, and the tomb of the founding sultan lies within the grounds. It sits amid a busy textile quarter.