Vanî Mehmed Efendi Mosque

Vanî Mehmet Efendi Mosque, also known among the public as Vaniköy Mosque, is a historic mosque from the 17th century located in the Vaniköy neighbourhood of the Üsküdar district of Istanbul.

The founder of the mosque, Vanî Mehmed Efendi, attracted the patronage of Grand Vizier Köprülüzâde Fazıl Ahmed Pasha during the reign of Sultan IV. Mehmet and was among the famous exegetes and preachers of the ulama class of the time.

History

Sultan IV. Mehmed gifted the area near Üsküdar, then known as Papaz Bahçesi or Papaz Korusu, to his teacher Vanî Mehmed Efendi. This neighbourhood on the Bosphorus was later named Vaniköy after him. Vanî Mehmed Efendi developed the neighbourhood. In Hijri year 1076 (1665 AD) he had a mosque built in the area. Next to the mosque he had a waterfront house (yalı) and a madrasa constructed as his residence. The mosque and the yalı managed to remain standing to this day.

Architectural features

It is a wooden frame mosque. Its single balcony minaret is set on a stone base and is reinforced concrete. The side of the mosque facing the sea, which has a wall fountain, is built on the forest side as a porch supported by high columns.

Fire

On 15 November 2020, the wooden parts of the mosque burned due to a fire caused by the electrical installation; collections such as calligraphy and illumination inside the mosque were also damaged by the fire. In the expert report on the fire, the foundation responsible for the mosque’s administration was found liable. Two days after the fire, the then Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya announced that they expected the mosque’s restoration project to be completed within two years.

Restoration

The restoration process, which began after November 2022, lasted about 2.5 years. The burned wood and subsequently added reinforced concrete parts were removed, and the mosque was structurally strengthened and reinforced. Original hand‑drawn decorations were reinstalled after conservation work. Necessary areas were filled with mortar, and the minaret’s dome was rebuilt. Vaniköy Mosque was reopened for worship on 16 June 2023 in a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.