Çorlulu Ali Paşa Mosque

Çorlulu Ali Paşa Mosque is a place of worship located in Molla Fenari Neighborhood of the Fatih district of Istanbul Province.

The mosque was commissioned by Çorlulu Ali Paşa, son‑in‑law of Sultan Mustafa II and the grand vizier of the period, in the Hijri year 1119 (Gregorian 1707‑1708). The construction date is recorded in the inscription written by Sabit Efendi. The mosque is not only a place of worship but also the central building of a complex that includes the Çorlulu Ali Paşa Madrasa. Complementary structures such as a madrasa, classroom, tekke, library, fountain and shadirvan are situated around it. The building, constructed of cut ashlar stone, has a single dome and a single minaret. The mosque was damaged in the 1766 Istanbul earthquake and suffered more severe damage in the 1894 Istanbul earthquake. It was extensively restored by the General Directorate of Foundations between 1961 and 1965.

The head of Çorlulu Ali Paşa, who was executed in Mytilene, was buried in the mosque’s courtyard, and the tombstone remains in its original place today. The other mosque bearing Ali Paşa’s name is the Çorlulu Ali Paşa Mosque located in the Beyoğlu district on the shore of the Golden Horn.

Architecture

In the southeast corner, the mosque‑tevhidhane attached to the mass formed by the madrasa cells consists of a square‑plan prayer hall, a five‑windowed last congregation area, and a minaret rising at their boundary. In the last congregation area, where white marble is used for the supports and arches, the central square‑projected section with a pointed arch and five openings is covered by a dome, while the side rectangular‑projected sections, each with two arch openings, are covered by mirrored vaults. The pointed‑arch corners are adorned with finial heads of various designs, drawing attention and representing probably one of the earliest indications of Baroque stylistic influences that would become prominent in Ottoman architecture after the Tulip Period.