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Mahmut Pasha Mosque was commissioned by the Greek Mahmud Pasha, the grand vizier of Sultan Mehmet II, who converted to Islam. Completed in 1464, it was one of the first buildings within the city walls built specifically as a mosque. After the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, most of the early mosques in the city were converted Byzantine churches.
The waqf (endowment) of the mosque and its associated charitable buildings was quite extensive, covering a number of different buildings across the surrounding district. This suggests that Mehmet II may have entrusted Mahmud Pasha with developing this district near the commercial heart of the city, just east and north of the area which would become the Grand Bazaar. The mosque was thus the centrepiece of this development.
The mosque is designed in the Bursa style with the main space covered by a number of identical domes. This is an early Ottoman style which was soon abandoned in favour of a single large dome with smaller extensions. In this case, the main space is a 2x1 rectangle covered with two identical domes, each with a diameter of 12.5 metres. The mihrab and minbar are located on the short side of the rectangle. The areas on either side are each covered by a simple sloping roof.
The entrance to the mosque is similar to that of a Byzantine church, with an outer porch (exonarthex) and an inner porch (esonarthex), each covered by five small domes. The columns holding up the outer porch were originally marble but were replaced by the present stone ones in the 18th century after damage by an earthquake. The mahfil was added in the 19th century, and the mihrab and minbar replaced; as a result, they are in a different style to the rest of the mosque.
The octagonal mausoleum (türbe) of Mahmud Paşa in the grounds of the mosque is dated AH 878 (1473-74 CE) on an inscription at the entrance. Its exterior is decorated with tiles forming geometric patterns in turquoise and indigo colours, a feature which is unique in Ottoman architecture in Istanbul.
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.