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The Nuruosmaniye Mosque, an 18th-century Ottoman mosque in Istanbul’s Çemberlitaş neighborhood, was added to Turkey’s Tentative World Heritage Sites list in 2016. Designed by Greek architect Simeon Kalfa, it was the first major Ottoman structure to showcase the Ottoman Baroque style, incorporating European baroque and neoclassical influences. Its curved courtyard and ornate decoration reflect this shift in architectural tradition. The mosque's grand dome, among the largest in Istanbul, is part of a larger külliye that served as a cultural and religious hub.
Commissioned by Sultan Mahmud I in 1748 and completed by Sultan Osman III in 1755, the mosque was named 'The Light of Osman.' It marked a revival of the imperial tradition of sultans building monumental mosques. Located near the Grand Bazaar and the Column of Constantine, it replaced a smaller, deteriorating mosque after Sultan Mahmud I appropriated its waqf. His personal commitment to the project was celebrated in Ottoman writings, portraying it as a divinely inspired endeavor.
Structurally, the mosque features a 25.4-meter dome, supported by four massive arches and iron bracing, making it Istanbul’s third-largest historic dome after Hagia Sophia and Süleymaniye Mosque. The horseshoe-shaped courtyard, an innovation in Ottoman design, leads to an interior filled with golden Qur'anic calligraphy and intricate Baroque carvings. Its mixtilinear arches, fluted minbar, and uniquely shaped capitals distinguish it from earlier Ottoman architecture. The complex’s blend of Islamic and European elements reshaped Istanbul’s skyline, marking a definitive break from classical Ottoman style.
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.