Gülfem Hatun Mosque

Gülfem Hatun Mosque, a historic Ottoman mosque from the 16th century located in Aziz Mahmut Hüdayi Neighborhood of the Üsküdar district of Istanbul. It was commissioned by Gülfem Hatun, who was in the harem of Kanuni Sultan Süleyman, in the years 1539-1540. The building is among the early examples of architectural works built by women patrons during the Ottoman period.

Having endured great calamities in its historical course, the mosque suffered severe damage in the great fire of 1850 and was subsequently repaired with the help of the neighborhood residents. When first built it also housed a primary school and a tomb and was a small complex. The architectural integrity of the complex was disrupted when the school and the tomb were completely removed during road widening works in 1930.

Due to the fire, destruction and restorations it has undergone, the mosque has largely lost its original architectural fabric and today has a flat wooden roof and a modest minaret that was renovated later. In the courtyard of the building lies the grave of Gülfem Hatun, the patron of the mosque.