Beyazıt Mosque

One of the oldest surviving imperial mosques in the city, this early sixteenth-century foundation was built for Sultan Bayezid II beside the square that still bears his name near the Grand Bazaar. Its design marks a formative stage in classical Ottoman architecture, with a central dome flanked by half-domes and a serene arcaded courtyard paved in coloured marble. Reused Byzantine columns of porphyry and granite support the porticoes, linking it to the ancient city. The surrounding complex once held a soup kitchen and school.