Kılıç Ali Pasha Complex

Standing near the Tophane shore, this late-sixteenth-century complex was designed by Mimar Sinan for the admiral Kılıç Ali Pasha, reportedly modelled in part on Hagia Sophia. It groups a mosque, medrese, tomb, fountain and a large hammam that has been carefully restored and is still in use. The mosque interior features İznik tiles and a spacious galleried hall, while the adjacent bathhouse is admired for its soaring domed changing room. Its position by the old naval arsenal reflects the founder's role as fleet commander.