Yildiz Mosque

Yıldız Mosque is on the Yıldız Palace road leading off Barbaros Boulevard in Beşiktaş. It was built between 1885-1886 at the order of Sultan Abdülhamid II.

The mosque is an unrivalled example of late Ottoman mosque architecture. It is said that Sultan Abdülhamid II designed the mosque himself. The interior ornamentation is very rich. There are rooms on the left and right which are reached by stairs. There is a Sufera room with its gilded ceiling on the right reserved for ambassadors. On the left, there is a lodge for sultans. The ceiling is artistically painted and decorated.

The minaret has a single gallery and is decorated with stone carvings. The dome sits on four thick iron columns and has 16 windows. The eaves of the dome are decorated with engraved stars. The inside of the dome is also ornate.

There are 17 windows in the mosque and verses from the Quran decorate four sides of the mosque. The panels on the walls are made of ebony with pearl engravings.