Ramazan Efendi Mosque

Ramazan Efendi Mosque is a mosque in the Kocamustafapaşa district of Istanbul. Built in 1585 by Mimar Sinan, the mosque is located at the end of the bus stops on Kuvayı Milliye Street. Ramazan Efendi Mosque is one of Mimar Sinan's master‑period buildings and is an example of a small‑scale, simple yet symmetrical neighborhood mosque. The mosque is one of the functional worship‑space examples of classical Ottoman architecture that is not a monumental building. It has a single minaret and a broken (hip) roof. It has undergone various repairs. Dede Efendi supported the repair of this mosque. Hüsrev Çelebi Mosque is also known as Bezirganbaşı Mosque. It is called Ramazan Efendi because the sheikh of the tekke located here was named Ramazan Efendi. Ramazan Efendi lies in a tomb attached to the building on the left side of the mosque entrance. In the 16th century, Ramazan Efendi was a member of the Halveti order and was one of the mystics who carried out preaching activities in Istanbul. The lodge he founded in the mosque and its surroundings held an important place among the mystical structures of the period.

The courtyard entrance of the mosque has two doors, both on the same street. In the courtyard there is a large garden surrounded by old trees enclosed by a wall, a prayer room on the left, a separate ablution area from the fountain on the right, and a cemetery at the back. In the middle of the courtyard, a rectangular cuboid fountain is covered by a roof supported by four columns. Opposite the fountain there is a women's area and, to the left of the entrance portal, a tomb. After entering the mosque through a small portal, the final congregation area rises on a platform extending to both sides. This type of courtyard mosque layout is a plan type frequently used in classical Ottoman city mosques, facilitating the gathering of the congregation in the courtyard and the performance of cleaning rituals.

After passing the threshold and entering the mosque, the tiles surrounding the marble mihrab and minbar stand out. Six‑over‑six windows are placed in pairs on the right and left walls, and in groups of four in order on the front and rear walls. The pulpit is on the left and is made of wood. The floor and ceiling of this mosque are wooden. The ceiling has a square pattern and is painted. At the entrance from the door, on the right there is the muezzin’s balcony and the minaret door. From the wall on the left of the entrance, a door leads to a room on the left side. From the last congregation place there is an entrance to the upper floor. Cracks have occurred in the walls. On both sides of the mihrab there are large candles and a chandelier with a descending spindle in the center of the sanctuary. The interior of the mosque is decorated with valuable tiles, and near the ceiling on the walls plaques bearing the names Allah, Muhammad, Abu Bakr, Umar, Osman, Ali, Hasan, Husayn are hung. Near this mosque there is the Sümbül Efendi Mosque.