Köprülü Mehmet Paşa Mosque (Safranbolu)

Köprülü Mehmed Paşa Mosque, a religious building located in Safranbolu, Karabük, Turkey, built in Classical Ottoman architecture. The mosque was commissioned by Ottoman grand vizier Köprülü Mehmed Paşa, who initiated the Köprülü era, between 1661-1662. It is one of the most important historic structures of Safranbolu and forms a complex together with the surrounding madrasa, library, fountain and bathhouse.

History

The local population had close relations with Istanbul and the Ottoman Palace. Before becoming grand vizier, Köprülü Mehmet Paşa lived for a while in Safranbolu, after which he had the mosque built. The courtyard is entered through a large stone arch. It also has another gate that opens to the garden. In the mosque courtyard there is a fountain and a sundial. In addition, there is a building used jointly as a library and a temporary office.

The foundation seal bears the date Hijri 1072 (AD 1661 or 1662), and it is accepted that the mosque was probably opened for worship in 1661 or 1662. Although there is no written inscription, the foundation record attached to the mosque and the handwritten copy of the Qur’an sent by the pasha point to this date.

It is stated that during a period when the local people of Safranbolu had close relations with the Ottoman palace, Köprülü Mehmed Paşa, before becoming grand vizier, was assigned to reside in Safranbolu for a while and performed his first prayer at the lodge located there, and that he made a vow to build a mosque if he were pardoned and returned to Istanbul. In the context of this vow, it is claimed that construction began around 1658 and was completed in 1661.

After its construction, the mosque is considered a work that distinctly carries the architectural features of the 17th century. The fountain, sundial, and library‑timekeeping room located in its courtyard are additional elements that indicate this complex’s qualified use.

It was restored by the General Directorate of Foundations in the 1970s, 1990s and 2010s.