| Şeyh Süleyman Mosque Şeyh Süleyman Mescidi | |
|---|---|
 The mosque viewed from south in a drawing of 1877, from A.G. Paspates'Byzantine topographical studies | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Sunni Islam |
| Year consecrated | Shortly after 1453 |
| Location | |
| Location | Istanbul,Turkey |
  Location in the Fatih district of Istanbul | |
| Coordinates | 41°01′9.13″N28°57′19.32″E / 41.0192028°N 28.9553667°E /41.0192028; 28.9553667 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Burial place or library |
| Style | Byzantine |
| Groundbreaking | 1118 |
| Completed | 1124 |
| Materials | brick,ashlar |
Şeyh Süleyman Mosque (Turkish:Şeyh Süleyman Mescidi) is amosque inIstanbul converted from a formerByzantine building which was part of theEastern OrthodoxPantokrator Monastery. Its usage during the Byzantine era is unclear. The small building is a minor example ofarchitecture of the Byzantine middle period inConstantinople.
The structure is located inZeyrek Sokak, in the district ofFatih, in the neighborhood ofZeyrek,[1] about 120 meters southwest of the former Pantokrator Church, now part of theMosque of Zeyrek.[2]
Nothing is known about the history of this small octagonal building before 1453. Almost certainly it was part of the great Monastery ofChrist Pantokrator, erected between 1118 and 1124 byByzantine EmpressIrene Komnene.[3] According to some scholars it could have been a burial place,[2] while others think that it was the library of the monastery.[1]
Shortly after theFall of Constantinople in 1453, underMehmed II, the building was converted into a mosque byŞeyh Süleyman Halîfe (?–1491). In any case, the instrument endowing the correspondingwaqf is missing.[4] After the great fire of 1756 the building was restored during the reign of SultanMustafa III (r. 1757-74) by Kazgan AsanAĝa, and assigned to the nearbymedrese.[4][5]
The building has a square plan and is topped by a low octagonaldome withpendentives.[2][5] Inside the building four niches are located in the corners.[5] Underground there is a burialcrypt with eight niches covered by a domevault.[5] Themasonry of the lower part is made ofashlar, while in the upper part it consists ofbricks.[4] A Byzantinecistern is still extant close to the building.[4]
