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Ortaköy Mosque (officially Büyük Mecidiye Camii) is a striking 19th-century mosque located on the Bosphorus waterfront in Beşiktaş, Istanbul. Commissioned by Sultan Abdülmecid I and designed by the Balyan family, it was completed around 1854-1856.
Famous for its picturesque setting near the Bosphorus Bridge, the mosque is a symbol of Ortaköy. Built in an eclectic mix of Ottoman Baroque and European Neoclassical styles, it features ornate stone carvings, a single dome, and two elegant minarets.
The mosque has undergone multiple restorations due to earthquake damage and fire, most recently in 2014. Inside, it features tall windows, marble and porphyry elements, trompe-l'œil frescoes, and calligraphy by Sultan Abdülmecid himself.
The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.
The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.
The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.
The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.