Karaki Hüseyin Çelebi Mosque

Karaki Hüseyin Çelebi Mosque, also known as Salkım Söğüt Mosque, is a mosque located in the Hocapaşa neighborhood of the Fatih district of Istanbul.

It was built in 1871, but it is said that its past dates back to the period when Istanbul was besieged by Yıldırım Bayezid and that it was built by Yıldırım Bayezid. Bayezid, when lifting the siege of Istanbul, had demanded that two mosques be built in the city. The historic mosque that existed here in the past is thought to be one of those two mosques, and its name is believed to come from Hüseyin Çelebi, who was born in Karaki and served as a judge (Kadı) in Istanbul for the administration of the mosque.

The historic building suffered major damage in the Hocapaşa fire. It collapsed in 1871; the current mosque was commissioned by the Minister of Justice Mümtaz Ebubekir. In 1938, when a tram line was laid, the minaret that was protruding onto the street was moved inside. The building’s exterior cladding was done in the 1960s. Structurally, the mosque has cut stone walls. The mosque’s roof was replaced with concrete due to rot.

Naming

The mosque is also known as "Salkım Söğüt Mosque". Its name has been written in many various forms such as "Karaki", "Karaköy", "Karakadı", "Kara Kedi". According to Ekrem Hakkı Ayverdi, the original name of this mosque should be "Kara Kadî".