Rüstem Pasha Mosque - Revision history

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2025-08-29T18:36:31Z

c/e, dates in infobox

← Previous revision		Revision as of 18:36, 29 August 2025
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	\| general_contractor =		\| general_contractor =
	\| facade_direction =		\| facade_direction =
	\| groundbreaking = 1561		\| groundbreaking = {{Start date and age\|1561}}
	\| year_completed = 1563		\| year_completed = {{Start date and age\|1563}}
	\| construction_cost =		\| construction_cost =
	\| specifications = yes		\| specifications = yes
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	== History ==		== History ==

	=== Rüstem Pasha ===		=== Rüstem Pasha ===
	The Rüstem Pasha Mosque was designed by Ottoman imperial architect [[Mimar Sinan]] for the [[Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire\|Grand Vizier]] [[Rüstem Pasha]]. Rüstem Pasha was the [[Damat\|husband]] of [[Mihrimah Sultan (daughter of Suleiman I)\|Mihrimah Sultan]], one of the daughters of [[Suleiman the Magnificent]] by [[Hurrem Sultan]], and served as Grand Vizier (a role comparable to a European prime minister) from 1544 to 1553 and from 1555 to 1561.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal\|last=Casale\|first=Giancarlo\|date=2006\|title=The Ottoman Administration of the Spice Trade in the Sixteenth-Century Red Sea and Persian Gulf\|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25165138\|journal=Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient\|volume=49\|issue=2\|pages=170–198\|doi=10.1163/156852006777502081\|jstor=25165138\|issn=0022-4995\|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal\|last=Kawtharani\|first=Wajih\|date=2018\|title=The Ottoman Tanzimat and the Constitution\|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.31430/almuntaqa.1.1.0051\|journal=AlMuntaqa\|volume=1\|issue=1\|pages=51–65\|doi=10.31430/almuntaqa.1.1.0051\|jstor=10.31430/almuntaqa.1.1.0051\|issn=2616-8073\|url-access=subscription}}</ref>		The Rüstem Pasha Mosque was designed by Ottoman imperial architect [[Mimar Sinan]] for the [[Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire\|Grand Vizier]] [[Rüstem Pasha]]. Rüstem Pasha was the [[Damat\|husband]] of [[Mihrimah Sultan (daughter of Suleiman I)\|Mihrimah Sultan]], one of the daughters of [[Suleiman the Magnificent]] by [[Hurrem Sultan]], and served as Grand Vizier (a role comparable to a European prime minister) from 1544 to 1553 and from 1555 to 1561.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal\|last=Casale\|first=Giancarlo\|date=2006\|title=The Ottoman Administration of the Spice Trade in the Sixteenth-Century Red Sea and Persian Gulf\|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25165138\|journal=Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient\|volume=49\|issue=2\|pages=170–198\|doi=10.1163/156852006777502081\|jstor=25165138\|issn=0022-4995\|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal\|last=Kawtharani\|first=Wajih\|date=2018\|title=The Ottoman Tanzimat and the Constitution\|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.31430/almuntaqa.1.1.0051\|journal=AlMuntaqa\|volume=1\|issue=1\|pages=51–65\|doi=10.31430/almuntaqa.1.1.0051\|jstor=10.31430/almuntaqa.1.1.0051\|issn=2616-8073\|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
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	=== Usage ===		=== Usage ===
	The Rüstem Pasha Mosque was originally designed as a Friday mosque, as reflected in Suleiman's ferman (his imperial command ordering construction of the mosque).<ref name=":23"/> More recently, it was used for film storage.<ref>{{Cite journal\|last=Altinyildiz\|first=Nur\|date=2007\|title=The Architectural Heritage of Istanbul and the Ideology of Preservation~~\|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25482464~~\|journal=Muqarnas\|volume=24\|pages=281–305\|doi=10.1163/22118993-90000120\|jstor=25482464\|issn=0732-2992~~\|url-access=subscription~~\|doi-access=free}}</ref> In 2021 it reopened for worship after extensive restoration.		The Rüstem Pasha Mosque was originally designed as a Friday mosque, as reflected in Suleiman's ferman (his imperial command ordering construction of the mosque).<ref name=":23"/> More recently, it was used for film storage.<ref>{{Cite journal\|last=Altinyildiz\|first=Nur\|date=2007\|title=The Architectural Heritage of Istanbul and the Ideology of Preservation\|journal=Muqarnas\|volume=24\|pages=281–305\|doi=10.1163/22118993-90000120\|jstor=25482464\|issn=0732-2992\|doi-access=free}}</ref> In 2021 it reopened for worship after extensive restoration.

	==Architecture==		==Architecture==

	===Exterior===		===Exterior===
	This small mosque was built on a high terrace over a complex of vaulted shops, whose rents were intended to financially support the [[mosque]] complex. Its elevation makes it a more visible component of the Istanbul skyline.{{sfn\|Necipoğlu\|2005\|p=323}} Narrow, twisting interior flights of steps in the corners give access to a spacious courtyard. The mosque has a double porch with five domed bays, from which projects a deep and low roof supported by a row of columns.<ref name="Freely, Blue Guide Istanbul2">Freely, Blue Guide Istanbul</ref> Due to the lack of space on the elevated terrace, the ablution kiosk was located at street level.{{sfn\|Necipoğlu\|2005\|p=324}}		This small mosque was built on a high terrace over a complex of vaulted shops, whose rents were intended to financially support the [[mosque]] complex. Its elevation makes it a more visible component of the Istanbul skyline.{{sfn\|Necipoğlu\|2005\|p=323}} Narrow, twisting interior flights of steps in the corners give access to a spacious courtyard. The mosque has a double porch with five domed bays, from which projects a deep and low roof supported by a row of columns.<ref name="Freely, Blue Guide Istanbul2">Freely, Blue Guide Istanbul</ref> Due to the lack of space on the elevated terrace, the ablution kiosk was located at street level.{{sfn\|Necipoğlu\|2005\|p=324}}
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	Sinan's architecture is known for emphasizing the structure of the buildings over the internal decoration.<ref name=":13"/> The Rüstem Pasha Mosque marked a substantial deviation from his typical style (and traditional Ottoman architecture) as it relied heavily on İznik tiling instead of favouring a more sparse interior. The Anatolian town of [[İznik]] was the heart of the Ottoman ceramics industry, which became a central component of the empire's artistic production after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453.<ref>{{Cite web\|title=The Lamp With No Light: An Exploration of Iznik Ceramic Mosque Lamps\|url=https://mediakron.bc.edu/ottomans/objects/objects/rustem-pasha-mosque-1/mosque-lamp-2\|access-date=2021-05-01\|website=mediakron.bc.edu}}</ref> While it has been theorized that the tiling may have been inspired by Sinan's wife Mihrimah, it could also be that Rüstem Pasha himself requested the tiling for economic reasons and to support a court artist specializing in floral designs.<ref name=":13" />		Sinan's architecture is known for emphasizing the structure of the buildings over the internal decoration.<ref name=":13"/> The Rüstem Pasha Mosque marked a substantial deviation from his typical style (and traditional Ottoman architecture) as it relied heavily on İznik tiling instead of favouring a more sparse interior. The Anatolian town of [[İznik]] was the heart of the Ottoman ceramics industry, which became a central component of the empire's artistic production after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453.<ref>{{Cite web\|title=The Lamp With No Light: An Exploration of Iznik Ceramic Mosque Lamps\|url=https://mediakron.bc.edu/ottomans/objects/objects/rustem-pasha-mosque-1/mosque-lamp-2\|access-date=2021-05-01\|website=mediakron.bc.edu}}</ref> While it has been theorized that the tiling may have been inspired by Sinan's wife Mihrimah, it could also be that Rüstem Pasha himself requested the tiling for economic reasons and to support a court artist specializing in floral designs.<ref name=":13" />

	The Rüstem Pasha Mosque is famous for its large quantities of [[İznik pottery\|İznik tiles]] in a very wide variety of floral and geometric designs, which cover not only the façade of the porch but also the [[mihrab]], [[minbar]] and walls. There are approximately 2300 tiles arranged in around 80 different patterns.{{sfn\|Denny\|2004\|pp=79-94}} These tiles exhibit the early use of [[Armenian bole]], a tomato-red pigment that would become characteristic of İznik pottery. While this red hue is applied more thinly on most of the tiles, it was applied heavily on the tiles near the qibla wall and appeared scarlet in colour.<ref name=":42">{{Cite journal\|last=Lane\|first=Arthur\|date=1957\|title=The Ottoman Pottery of Isnik\|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4629039\|journal=Ars Orientalis\|volume=2\|pages=247–281\|jstor=4629039\|issn=0571-1371}}</ref> The bright emerald green colour is only used in a panel added above an exterior doorway at a later date, and a study of the qibla tiling indicates that turquoise was the greenest hue available to the mosque's builders prior to the addition of that emerald green.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book\|last=Denny\|first=Walter B.~~\|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/2523352~~\|title=The ceramics of the Mosque of Rüstem Pasha and the environment of change\|date=1977\|publisher=Garland Pub\|isbn=0-8240-2684-5\|location=New York\|oclc=2523352}}</ref>{{sfn\|Denny\|2004\|p=91}} Some of the tiles, particularly those in a large panel under the portico to the left main entrance, are decorated with sage green and dark manganese purple that are characteristic of the earlier 'Damascus ware' colour scheme.{{sfn\|Carswell\|2006\|pp=74–76}} Yet the mosque's tiling does not feature the olive green found to be characteristic of Damascus tiles.<ref name=":42" /> No other mosque makes such a lavish use of İznik tiles; with later mosques Sinan used tiles more sparingly.{{sfn\|Atasoy\|Raby\|1989\|p=228}}		The Rüstem Pasha Mosque is famous for its large quantities of [[İznik pottery\|İznik tiles]] in a very wide variety of floral and geometric designs, which cover not only the façade of the porch but also the [[mihrab]], [[minbar]] and walls. There are approximately 2300 tiles arranged in around 80 different patterns.{{sfn\|Denny\|2004\|pp=79-94}} These tiles exhibit the early use of [[Armenian bole]], a tomato-red pigment that would become characteristic of İznik pottery. While this red hue is applied more thinly on most of the tiles, it was applied heavily on the tiles near the qibla wall and appeared scarlet in colour.<ref name=":42">{{Cite journal\|last=Lane\|first=Arthur\|date=1957\|title=The Ottoman Pottery of Isnik\|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4629039\|journal=Ars Orientalis\|volume=2\|pages=247–281\|jstor=4629039\|issn=0571-1371}}</ref> The bright emerald green colour is only used in a panel added above an exterior doorway at a later date, and a study of the qibla tiling indicates that turquoise was the greenest hue available to the mosque's builders prior to the addition of that emerald green.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book\|last=Denny\|first=Walter B.\|title=The ceramics of the Mosque of Rüstem Pasha and the environment of change\|date=1977\|publisher=Garland Pub\|isbn=0-8240-2684-5\|location=New York\|oclc=2523352}}</ref>{{sfn\|Denny\|2004\|p=91}} Some of the tiles, particularly those in a large panel under the portico to the left main entrance, are decorated with sage green and dark manganese purple that are characteristic of the earlier 'Damascus ware' colour scheme.{{sfn\|Carswell\|2006\|pp=74–76}} Yet the mosque's tiling does not feature the olive green found to be characteristic of Damascus tiles.<ref name=":42" /> No other mosque makes such a lavish use of İznik tiles; with later mosques Sinan used tiles more sparingly.{{sfn\|Atasoy\|Raby\|1989\|p=228}}

	According to Willis, some of the tiles in the Rüstem Pasha Mosque are of European origin (specifically Italian and Dutch) and also date to the eighteenth century.<ref name=":33"/>		According to Willis, some of the tiles in the Rüstem Pasha Mosque are of European origin (specifically Italian and Dutch) and also date to the eighteenth century.<ref name=":33"/>
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	Wedged between the mihrab frame and niche is cambered tiling featuring a bright shade of red which stands out because that shade of red is not found elsewhere and contrasts with the dark red used as an accent on many other qibla tiles.<ref name=":4" /> This cambered section also is much more ornate than the relatively plain two-blue tiling on either side. The mihrab frame tiles are quite different as they feature embellished white tiles and include blue guard stripe borders. While these borders feature the two-blue painting style, they are less dry than the two-blue tiling found elsewhere on the qibla wall. The border stripes frame both the mihrab and the calligraphy (in the [[thuluth]] script) panel above the frame tiles.<ref name=":4" /> The result is a unique structure in Istanbul and among Sinan's other works.		Wedged between the mihrab frame and niche is cambered tiling featuring a bright shade of red which stands out because that shade of red is not found elsewhere and contrasts with the dark red used as an accent on many other qibla tiles.<ref name=":4" /> This cambered section also is much more ornate than the relatively plain two-blue tiling on either side. The mihrab frame tiles are quite different as they feature embellished white tiles and include blue guard stripe borders. While these borders feature the two-blue painting style, they are less dry than the two-blue tiling found elsewhere on the qibla wall. The border stripes frame both the mihrab and the calligraphy (in the [[thuluth]] script) panel above the frame tiles.<ref name=":4" /> The result is a unique structure in Istanbul and among Sinan's other works.

	==Gallery==		== Gallery ==
	<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">		<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
	File:DSC04137a Istanbul - Rüstem Pasha camii - Foto G. Dall'Orto 26-5-2006.jpg\|Portico		File:DSC04137a Istanbul - Rüstem Pasha camii - Foto G. Dall'Orto 26-5-2006.jpg\|Portico
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	*[[List of Friday mosques designed by Mimar Sinan]]		*[[List of Friday mosques designed by Mimar Sinan]]

	==References==		== References ==
	{{reflist}}		{{reflist}}

	==Sources==		== Sources ==
	*{{cite book \| last1=Atasoy \| first1=Nurhan \| author1-link=Nurhan Atasoy \| last2=Raby \| first2=Julian \| editor-last=Petsopoulos \| editor-first=Yanni \| year=1989 \| title=Iznik: The Pottery of Ottoman Turkey \| publisher=Alexandria Press \| place=London \| isbn=978-1-85669-054-6 }}		*{{cite book \| last1=Atasoy \| first1=Nurhan \| author1-link=Nurhan Atasoy \| last2=Raby \| first2=Julian \| editor-last=Petsopoulos \| editor-first=Yanni \| year=1989 \| title=Iznik: The Pottery of Ottoman Turkey \| publisher=Alexandria Press \| place=London \| isbn=978-1-85669-054-6 }}
	* {{cite book \|last=Carswell \|first=John \|year=2006 \|orig-year=1998 \|title=Iznik Pottery \|publisher=British Museum Press \|place=London \|isbn=978-0-7141-2441-4 }}.		* {{cite book \|last=Carswell \|first=John \|year=2006 \|orig-year=1998 \|title=Iznik Pottery \|publisher=British Museum Press \|place=London \|isbn=978-0-7141-2441-4 }}.
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	}}		}}

	==External links==		== External links ==
	{{commons category\|Rüstem Pasha Mosque}}		{{commons category\|Rüstem Pasha Mosque}}
	* {{cite web \|title=Rüstem Pasa Mosque \|url=http://archnet.org/sites/2017 \|publisher=ArchNet}}		* {{cite web \|title=Rüstem Pasa Mosque \|url=http://archnet.org/sites/2017 \|publisher=ArchNet}}

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2025-06-02T05:01:27Z

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New page

{{Short description|Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey}}
{{Infobox religious building
| building_name = Rüstem Pasha Islamic cultural center
| image = Rustem Pasha Mosque.JPG
| image_size = 300px
| caption = Rüstem Pasha Mosque (in foreground)
| map_type = Istanbul Fatih
| map_size =
| map_caption = Location within the Fatih district of Istanbul
| location = [[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]]
| coordinates = {{coord|41|01|03|N|28|58|07|E|region:TR_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| latitude =
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| religious_affiliation = [[Islam]]
| rite =
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| cercle =
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| heritage_designation =
| leadership =
| website =
| architecture = yes
| architect = [[Mimar Sinan]]
| architecture_type = Ottoman-era mosque
| architecture_style =
| general_contractor =
| facade_direction =
| groundbreaking = 1561
| year_completed = 1563
| construction_cost =
| specifications = yes
| capacity =
| length =
| width =
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| minaret_quantity = 1
| minaret_height =
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| materials = [[granite]], [[marble]]
}}
[[File:Rustem Pasha Mosque Gurlitt 1912.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Section and plan of the mosque published by [[Cornelius Gurlitt (art historian)|Cornelius Gurlitt]] in 1912 ]]
The '''Rüstem Pasha Mosque''' ({{langx|tr|Rüstem Paşa Camii}}) is an [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] [[mosque]] located in the Hasırcılar Çarşısı (Strawmat Weavers Market) in the [[:tr:Tahtakale, Fatih|Tahtakale]] neighborhood of the [[Fatih]] district of [[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]], near the [[Spice Bazaar]]. Named after [[Rüstem Pasha]], who served as [[Grand vizier|Grand Vizier]] of the [[Ottoman Empire]] under [[Suleiman the Magnificent|Sultan Suleiman I]], it was designed by the Ottoman imperial architect [[Mimar Sinan]] and completed in around 1563.

The mosque is noted for the many different designs of [[Iznik pottery|İznik tiles]] that cover almost every vertical surface both in the interior and under the entrance porch.

== History ==

=== Rüstem Pasha ===
The Rüstem Pasha Mosque was designed by Ottoman imperial architect [[Mimar Sinan]] for the [[Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire|Grand Vizier]] [[Rüstem Pasha]]. Rüstem Pasha was the [[Damat|husband]] of [[Mihrimah Sultan (daughter of Suleiman I)|Mihrimah Sultan]], one of the daughters of [[Suleiman the Magnificent]] by [[Hurrem Sultan]], and served as Grand Vizier (a role comparable to a European prime minister) from 1544 to 1553 and from 1555 to 1561.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Casale|first=Giancarlo|date=2006|title=The Ottoman Administration of the Spice Trade in the Sixteenth-Century Red Sea and Persian Gulf|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25165138|journal=Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient|volume=49|issue=2|pages=170–198|doi=10.1163/156852006777502081|jstor=25165138|issn=0022-4995|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kawtharani|first=Wajih|date=2018|title=The Ottoman Tanzimat and the Constitution|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.31430/almuntaqa.1.1.0051|journal=AlMuntaqa|volume=1|issue=1|pages=51–65|doi=10.31430/almuntaqa.1.1.0051|jstor=10.31430/almuntaqa.1.1.0051|issn=2616-8073|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Rüstem Pasha commissioned a number of important buildings, including religious schools, mosques, and other structures. Before his death in 1561, he hoped to construct a final mosque of his own in Istanbul — in part to repair his controversial legacy — though the extent to which he had outlined his intentions for the eponymous mosque remains ambiguous.<ref name=":13">{{Cite web|title=Vice and Virtue: The Rustem Pasha Mosque as a Master Tribute|url=https://mediakron.bc.edu/ottomans/objects/objects/rustem-pasha-mosque-1|access-date=2021-05-01|website=mediakron.bc.edu}}</ref><ref name=":23">{{Cite journal|last=Schick|first=Leslie Meral|date=1990|title=A Note on the Dating of the Mosque of Rüstem Paṣa in İstanbul|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3250073|journal=Artibus Asiae|volume=50|issue=3/4|pages=285–288|doi=10.2307/3250073|jstor=3250073|issn=0004-3648|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

[[Suleiman the Magnificent|Sultan Suleiman I]] authorized the project in 1562 after the Grand Vizier's death. It was assigned to the Ottoman's chief architect, [[Mimar Sinan]].{{sfn|Necipoğlu|2005|p=321}} The Rüstem Pasha Mosque is unique among Sinan's many mosques for the lavishly decorated, tiled interior. Rüstem Pasha may have ordered the mosque's characteristic [[Iznik pottery|İznik tiles]] in order to support court designer Kara Memi, who was known for elegant floral designs.<ref name=":13"/>

=== Dating the mosque ===
Efforts to precisely date the Rüstem Pasha Mosque have proved difficult, in part because of the lack of a foundation inscription. Michael D. Willis’ analysis of its İznik tiles suggest that they date to 1555.<ref name=":33">{{Cite journal|last=Willis|first=Michael D.|date=1987|title=Tiles from the Mosque of Rüstem Paşa in İstanbul|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3249874|journal=Artibus Asiae|volume=48|issue=3/4|pages=278–284|doi=10.2307/3249874|jstor=3249874|issn=0004-3648|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Other sources suggest that some of them could have been crafted after Rüstem Pasha's death in 1561.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Rogers|first=J. M.|date=1982|title=The State and the Arts in Ottoman Turkey Part 1. The Stones of Suleymaniye|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/163335|journal=International Journal of Middle East Studies|volume=14|issue=1|pages=71–86|doi=10.1017/S0020743800026593|jstor=163335|issn=0020-7438|url-access=subscription}}</ref> More recent analyses of primary sources has determined that the mosque was probably built between 1561 and 1563. Plans for the mosque were only set in motion beginning in 1561, and deeds for the purchase of land date to 1562. One water deed implies that the mosque was incomplete in December 1562, so the mosque was likely only operational by late 1563.{{sfn|Necipoğlu|2005|pp=321-323}}<ref name=":23"/>

=== Usage ===
The Rüstem Pasha Mosque was originally designed as a Friday mosque, as reflected in Suleiman's ferman (his imperial command ordering construction of the mosque).<ref name=":23"/> More recently, it was used for film storage.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Altinyildiz|first=Nur|date=2007|title=The Architectural Heritage of Istanbul and the Ideology of Preservation|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25482464|journal=Muqarnas|volume=24|pages=281–305|doi=10.1163/22118993-90000120|jstor=25482464|issn=0732-2992|url-access=subscription|doi-access=free}}</ref> In 2021 it reopened for worship after extensive restoration.

==Architecture==

===Exterior===
This small mosque was built on a high terrace over a complex of vaulted shops, whose rents were intended to financially support the [[mosque]] complex. Its elevation makes it a more visible component of the Istanbul skyline.{{sfn|Necipoğlu|2005|p=323}} Narrow, twisting interior flights of steps in the corners give access to a spacious courtyard. The mosque has a double porch with five domed bays, from which projects a deep and low roof supported by a row of columns.<ref name="Freely, Blue Guide Istanbul2">Freely, Blue Guide Istanbul</ref> Due to the lack of space on the elevated terrace, the ablution kiosk was located at street level.{{sfn|Necipoğlu|2005|p=324}}

===Interior===
{{external media |width = 210px |headerimage=[[File:DSC04139 Istanbul - Rüstem Pasha camii - Foto G. Dall'Orto 26-5-2006.jpg|210px]] |float = right |video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8WMx_TmEyQ Mimar Sinan, Rüstem Pasha Mosque, Istanbul, 1561-63], [[Smarthistory]]<ref name="smarth">{{cite web |title =Mimar Sinan, Rüstem Pasha Mosque, Istanbul, 1561-63 |publisher =[[Smarthistory]] at [[Khan Academy]] |url =http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/sinans-restem-pasha-mosque-1561-63.html |access-date =January 10, 2014}}</ref>}}
The building is basically an [[octagon]] inscribed in a rectangle. The main [[dome]] rests on four [[semi-dome]]s; not on the axes but in the diagonals of the building. The arches of the dome spring from four octagonal pillars— two on the north, two on the south— and from piers projecting from the east and west walls. To the north and south are galleries supported by pillars and by small [[marble]] columns between them.<ref name="Freely, Blue Guide Istanbul2"/>

=== İznik tiling ===
Sinan's architecture is known for emphasizing the structure of the buildings over the internal decoration.<ref name=":13"/> The Rüstem Pasha Mosque marked a substantial deviation from his typical style (and traditional Ottoman architecture) as it relied heavily on İznik tiling instead of favouring a more sparse interior. The Anatolian town of [[İznik]] was the heart of the Ottoman ceramics industry, which became a central component of the empire's artistic production after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Lamp With No Light: An Exploration of Iznik Ceramic Mosque Lamps|url=https://mediakron.bc.edu/ottomans/objects/objects/rustem-pasha-mosque-1/mosque-lamp-2|access-date=2021-05-01|website=mediakron.bc.edu}}</ref> While it has been theorized that the tiling may have been inspired by Sinan's wife Mihrimah, it could also be that Rüstem Pasha himself requested the tiling for economic reasons and to support a court artist specializing in floral designs.<ref name=":13" />

The Rüstem Pasha Mosque is famous for its large quantities of [[İznik pottery|İznik tiles]] in a very wide variety of floral and geometric designs, which cover not only the façade of the porch but also the [[mihrab]], [[minbar]] and walls. There are approximately 2300 tiles arranged in around 80 different patterns.{{sfn|Denny|2004|pp=79-94}} These tiles exhibit the early use of [[Armenian bole]], a tomato-red pigment that would become characteristic of İznik pottery. While this red hue is applied more thinly on most of the tiles, it was applied heavily on the tiles near the qibla wall and appeared scarlet in colour.<ref name=":42">{{Cite journal|last=Lane|first=Arthur|date=1957|title=The Ottoman Pottery of Isnik|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4629039|journal=Ars Orientalis|volume=2|pages=247–281|jstor=4629039|issn=0571-1371}}</ref> The bright emerald green colour is only used in a panel added above an exterior doorway at a later date, and a study of the qibla tiling indicates that turquoise was the greenest hue available to the mosque's builders prior to the addition of that emerald green.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|last=Denny|first=Walter B.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/2523352|title=The ceramics of the Mosque of Rüstem Pasha and the environment of change|date=1977|publisher=Garland Pub|isbn=0-8240-2684-5|location=New York|oclc=2523352}}</ref>{{sfn|Denny|2004|p=91}} Some of the tiles, particularly those in a large panel under the portico to the left main entrance, are decorated with sage green and dark manganese purple that are characteristic of the earlier 'Damascus ware' colour scheme.{{sfn|Carswell|2006|pp=74–76}} Yet the mosque's tiling does not feature the olive green found to be characteristic of Damascus tiles.<ref name=":42" /> No other mosque makes such a lavish use of İznik tiles; with later mosques Sinan used tiles more sparingly.{{sfn|Atasoy|Raby|1989|p=228}}

According to Willis, some of the tiles in the Rüstem Pasha Mosque are of European origin (specifically Italian and Dutch) and also date to the eighteenth century.<ref name=":33"/>

=== The qibla wall and mihrab ===
The Rüstem Pasha Mosque's qibla wall includes a number of new and experimental painting styles in addition to the traditional ceramic tiles. This is consistent with the mosque's unique emphasis on İznik tiles and parallels other buildings designed by Sinan, such as the Süleymaniye Complex. [[Walter B. Denny]] hypothesizes that this could have been “deemed a project too large for one designer,” and that several other aspiring architects added to Sinan's contributions.<ref name=":4" />

The qibla wall features mostly blue tiles in a variety of shades, including turquoise and cobalt. Some [[Armenian bole]] is used as an “accent,” adding to the general theme of blueness in this section of the mosque.<ref name=":4" /> These tiles are almost all “repeating modules” and do not appear to be specially designed for the Rüstem Pasha Mosque.<ref name=":4" /> Emblematic is the Rüstem Pasha Border, which consists of cobalt tiles, a white rosace, and turquoise embellishments, and recurs throughout the mosque. The tiles in this section feature rose buds, lotus palmettes, and leaves, consistent with the floral decoration characteristic of this mosque. Despite these details, the qibla tiling is relatively simple: most of the details utilize only two shades of paint, both blue (known as “two-blue” painting), which results in a somewhat monotonous presentation.

Inset in the wall is a mihrab shaped like a half-dodecagon. Between the two mihrab frames rests a panel featuring calligraphy; above them, there are three windows. The repeating tile patterns are shaped to conform to the structure of the mosque, so many are cut in unusual and arbitrary ways. For example, the bottom of the mihrab tiles are cut arbitrarily when they reach the floor. The lack of a foundation leads to an abrupt shift from the tiling to the floor.<ref name=":4" />

Wedged between the mihrab frame and niche is cambered tiling featuring a bright shade of red which stands out because that shade of red is not found elsewhere and contrasts with the dark red used as an accent on many other qibla tiles.<ref name=":4" /> This cambered section also is much more ornate than the relatively plain two-blue tiling on either side. The mihrab frame tiles are quite different as they feature embellished white tiles and include blue guard stripe borders. While these borders feature the two-blue painting style, they are less dry than the two-blue tiling found elsewhere on the qibla wall. The border stripes frame both the mihrab and the calligraphy (in the [[thuluth]] script) panel above the frame tiles.<ref name=":4" /> The result is a unique structure in Istanbul and among Sinan's other works.

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
File:DSC04137a Istanbul - Rüstem Pasha camii - Foto G. Dall'Orto 26-5-2006.jpg|Portico
File:DSC04138 Istanbul - Rüstem Pasha camii - Foto G. Dall'Orto 26-5-2006.jpg|Iznik tiles at entrance
File:Rüstem Pasha mosque tiles.jpg|Iznik tiles
File:DSC04153 Istanbul - Rüstem Pasha camii - Foto G. Dall'Orto 26-5-2006.jpg|Interior view
File:DSC04157 Istanbul - Rüstem Pasha camii - Foto G. Dall'Orto 26-5-2006.jpg|Interior view
File:DSC04142 Istanbul - Rstem Pasha camii - Foto G. Dall'Orto 26-5-2006.jpg|Mihrab
File:676-Istanbul Rüstem Pasha Mosque-0910-1836.jpg|Rüstem Pasha mosque view from street in the west
File:Rüstem Pasha Mosque courtyard and porch in 2003 1826.jpg|Double porticoed north façade with the main entrance
File:675-Istanbul Rüstem Pasha Mosque-0910-1835.jpg|Rüstem Pasha mosque Iznik tiles hotchpotch
File:Istanbul ramble 1272.jpg|Rüstem Pasha mosque Iznik tiles
File:650-Istanbul Rüstem Pasha Mosque-0910-1809.jpg|Rüstem Pasha mosque Iznik tiles around entrance
File:645-Istanbul Rüstem Pasha Mosque-0910-1804.jpg|Rüstem Pasha mosque Iznik tiles around entrance
File:Istanbul Rustem Pasha 229.jpg|Rüstem Pasha mosque interior view
File:655-Istanbul Rüstem Pasha Mosque-0910-1814.jpg|Rüstem Pasha mosque in dome
File:Istanbul ramble 1265.jpg|Rüstem Pasha mosque Iznik tiles with Kaaba
File:Istanbul ramble 1263.jpg|Rüstem Pasha mosque Iznik tiles
File:078 Istanbul Rustem Pasha mosque-june 2004.jpg|Rüstem Pasha mosque Iznik tiles
File:077 Istanbul Rustem Pasha mosque-june 2004.jpg|Rüstem Pasha mosque Iznik tiles
File:065 Istanbul Rustem Pasha mosque-june 2004.jpg|Rüstem Pasha mosque Iznik tiles
File:044 Istanbul Rustem Pasha mosque-june 2004.jpg|Rüstem Pasha mosque Iznik tiles
</gallery>

== See also ==
*[[List of Friday mosques designed by Mimar Sinan]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
*{{cite book | last1=Atasoy | first1=Nurhan | author1-link=Nurhan Atasoy | last2=Raby | first2=Julian | editor-last=Petsopoulos | editor-first=Yanni | year=1989 | title=Iznik: The Pottery of Ottoman Turkey | publisher=Alexandria Press | place=London | isbn=978-1-85669-054-6 }}
* {{cite book |last=Carswell |first=John |year=2006 |orig-year=1998 |title=Iznik Pottery |publisher=British Museum Press |place=London |isbn=978-0-7141-2441-4 }}.
*{{cite book |last=Denny |first=Walter B. |year=2004 |title=Iznik: The Artistry of Ottoman Ceramics |publisher= Thames & Hudson |location=London |isbn=978-0-500-51192-3 }}
*{{cite book
|last = Freely
|first = John
|year = 2000
|title = Blue Guide Istanbul
|publisher = W.W. Norton & Company
|isbn = 0-393-32014-6
}}
* {{cite book |last=Necipoğlu |first=Gülru |year=2005 |title=The Age of Sinan: Architectural Culture in the Ottoman Empire |publisher=Reaktion Books | place=London | isbn=978-1-86189-253-9 }}
*{{cite book
|last = Rogers
|first = J.M.
|year = 2007
|title = Sinan: Makers of Islamic Civilization
|publisher = I.B. Tauris
|isbn = 978-1-84511-096-3
|url-access = registration
|url = https://archive.org/details/sinan0000roge
}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Rüstem Pasha Mosque}}
* {{cite web |title=Rüstem Pasa Mosque |url=http://archnet.org/sites/2017 |publisher=ArchNet}}
* [http://www.pbase.com/dosseman/rustem 160 photographs in gallery], PBase
* [http://www.3dmekanlar.com/en/rustem-pasha-mosque.html 360 degree panoramic view of the mosque interior], 3dmekanlar.
{{Mosques in Turkey}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rustem Pasha Mosque}}
[[Category:Religious buildings and structures completed in 1563]]
[[Category:Mimar Sinan buildings]]
[[Category:Ottoman mosques in Istanbul]]
[[Category:Fatih]]
[[Category:Mosques completed in the 1560s]]