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Bayezid II Mosque (Beyazıt Camii) is a 16th-century Ottoman imperial mosque in Beyazıt Square, Istanbul, near the ruins of the Forum of Theodosius. Built between 1500–1505 for Sultan Bayezid II, it is the oldest surviving imperial mosque complex in the city.
The architect is uncertain, but likely Yakubşah ibn Islamşah. The complex (külliye) included a medrese, hamam, imaret, caravanserai, and Sultan Bayezid II's tomb. The mosque suffered earthquake and fire damage over centuries, with major restorations by Mimar Sinan (1573), and from 2012–2020.
Its architecture features a central dome (17m diameter), semi-domes, and colonnaded courtyard with polychrome marble. Inspired by Hagia Sophia, its interior has a central dome, semi-domes, and a sultan's loge with repurposed Byzantine columns.
Nearby, the Bayezid II Hamam is now the Museum of Turkish Hamam Culture, and the former soup kitchen became the State Library of Istanbul in 1882.
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.