Abdi Çelebi Mosque

Abdi Çelebi Mosque is a mosque built in the Fatih district of Istanbul, in the Kocamustafapaşa neighbourhood, during the reign of Kanuni Sultan Süleyman.

Etymology

There is no reliable source about Abdi Çelebi, after whom the mosque takes its name. It is also known as "Yedim İçtim Mosque" and "Yeni Mosque". In Hadikatülcevami it is mentioned as "Çilingirler Mescidi".

History

Its first structure was completed in 1533. It is one of the works of Mimar Sinan. Over time, because it lost its importance, it was not sufficiently maintained and was close to becoming a ruin. However, during the reign of Abdul Hamid II, considering that many Armenians lived in the neighbourhood, it was decided to build a police station, and the fire station to be built was placed next to this mosque. Mehmed Rıza Pasha had the mosque repaired while the station was being built. With this repair, nothing remains today of the mosque's original structure.

During the Italo‑Turkish War, the Balkan Wars and World War I the mosque again remained neglected and became a water tank. Finally, it took its present form through the repair carried out by a philanthropist woman named Süeda Hanım.