| Koca Mustafa Pasha Mosque Koca Mustafa Paşa Camii | |
|---|---|
 Interior view | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Sunni Islam |
| Patron | Koca Mustafa Pasha |
| Year consecrated | Between 1486 and 1491 |
| Location | |
| Location | Istanbul,Turkey |
  Location in the Fatih district of Istanbul | |
| Coordinates | 41°00′12.24″N28°55′42.96″E / 41.0034000°N 28.9286000°E /41.0034000; 28.9286000 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | church |
| Style | Byzantine |
| Groundbreaking | 6th century |
| Completed | 1284 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | west-southwest |
| Minaret | 1 |
| Materials | brick, stone |
Koca Mustafa Pasha Mosque (Turkish:Koca Mustafa Paşa Camii; also namedSünbül Efendi Camii) is a formerEastern Orthodox church converted into a mosque by theOttomans, located inIstanbul, Turkey. The church, as the adjoining monastery, was dedicated toSaint Andrew of Crete, and was namedSaint Andrew in Krisei orby-the-Judgment (Greek:Μονὴ τοῦ Ἁγίου Ἀνδρέου ἐν τῇ Κρίσει,Monē tοu Hagiοu Andreοu en tē Krisei). Although heavily transformed during both theByzantine and the Ottoman eras, it is one of the few extant churches in Istanbul whose foundation goes back to the sixth century.
The building lies in the Istanbul district ofFatih, in the neighborhood of Kocamustafapaşa, alongKoca Mustafa Paşa Caddesi. It is placed inside thewalled city, and not far from the church ofSaint John of Stoudion, on the slopes of the seventh hill ofConstantinople near thesea of Marmara.
At the beginning of the 5th century, PrincessArcadia, sister of EmperorTheodosius II (r. 408–450), ordered the construction, near the Gate of Saturninus,[1] of a monastery dedicated toSaint Andrew. The building, named alsoRodophylion (Greek:Ροδοφύλιον) lay about 600 metres (2,000 feet) west of the gate.[2] The monastery was later converted into a nunnery, mentioned for the first time in 792. The monastery of Saint Andrew was known under the appellation "by-the-Judgment", after the place where it lay, named "the Judgment" (ή Κρίσις,hē Krisis).[3]Saint Andrew of Crete, amartyr of the fight againstByzantine Iconoclasm, killed on 20 November 766 in theForum Bovis because of his opposition to the iconoclastic policies of EmperorConstantine V (r. 741–775), was buried there.[4] Due to his popularity after the finaltriumph of Orthodoxy, the dedication of the church changed from Saint Andrew the Apostle to him. During the second half of the ninth century,EmperorBasil I (r. 867–886) wholly rebuilt the church, which possibly had been damaged during the iconoclastic fights.
Around 1284, PrincessTheodora Raoulaina, niece ofMichael VIII Palaiologos (r. 1259–1282) and wife ofprotovestiariosJohn Raoul Petraliphas, rebuilt the monastery and the church, deserving the appellation of secondktētorissa. She spent the last fifteen years of her life in the monastery, and was buried there. Neglected during theLatin occupation of Constantinople, two Russian pilgrims visiting Constantinople in 1350 and between 1425 and 1450 mention the church, affirming that Saint Andrew was worshiped by many who were afflicted by sickness. At the beginning of the fifteenth century the surrounding area of the monastery was covered with vineyards, confirming the decline of the city.[5]
After the Ottomanconquest of Constantinople the monastery, known by the Turks asKızlar Kilisesi ("women's church"), continued to be inhabited for a while. Between 1486 and 1491Kapicibaşi[6] (and laterGrand Vizier)Koca Mustafa Pasha, executed in 1512,[7] converted the church into a mosque.[8] Some years later, the building of the monastery wasendowed by his son-in-law, Şeih Çelebi Efendi asTekke for theDervishes of theHalveti order.[5] The dervishes were led at that time by theSufi MasterSünbül Efendi. Histürbe, a popular destination forMuslim pilgrims, lies next to the mosque, which is also named after him. At the beginning of the sixteenth century there were quarrels between SultanSelim I and Şeih Çelebi, since the sultan wanted to pull down part of the monastery to build theTopkapı Palace. He died in 1559 and his wife Safiye Hatun were both buried in atürbe in the yard of the mosque, near the türbe of Mustafa Pasha. Several Halveti Sheiks were buried in the cemetery behind the Mosque.[5]
Also in this period was born the tradition related to a chain hung to a cypress tree. The cypress is since long dead but still stands - together with the chain - inside a small round building in the yard of the mosque. The chain was swung between two people who were affirming contradictory statements, and the chain was said to hit the one who was telling the truth.[9]
This is one among many surviving folk tales concerning the mosque (like those about theçifte Sultanlar, the "twin Sultans"), all with Byzantine roots. They testify the merge between Ottoman and Greek popular culture and beliefs.[10]
At the beginning of the 17th century,Defterdar (treasury minister) Ekmekçizade Ahmet Paşa (d. 1618) let build aMedrese, the gates of the complex, azaviye,[11] and amekteb (school).[12] About one century laterHekimbaşı (Sultan's chief physician) Giridli Nuh Efendi (d. 1707) closed the Tekke and enlarged the Medrese,[12] while in 1737Kızlar Ağası Hacı Beşir Ağa erected in the yard a column-shaped fountain.[10] The earthquake of 1766 destroyed the dome of the building: it was rebuilt in 1768.[12] During the 19th century,Mahmud II (r. 1808-1839) rebuilt the porch. In 1847–1848, SultanAbdülmecid I (r. 1839–1861) let the wall which encircles the complex be rebuilt. Some years later two fountains were erected in the yard of the mosque.[13] Finally, in 1953, the building was restored again.[13]
The tradition of lighting up theminaret of the mosques on the eve of the anniversary of the birth ofMuhammad (Mawlid al-Nabi) was born in the Koca Mustafa Mosque.[14]
The building was originally of the ambulatory type, and is oriented in east-northeast - west-southwest direction. It has a central dome and a three apses, placed of the east side. Anesonarthex andexonarthex are placed in the west side. On the other three sides the dome was originally surrounded by arcades surmounted bybarrel vaults. During the Ottoman period the building underwent important alterations. The entrance is on the north side, where the Ottomans built an arcade covered by five domes. After the earthquake of 1766, the central dome was rebuilt. It is circular inside, octagonal outside, and rests on a high drum pierced by eight windows.[15]
On the north and south sides of the main dome, two half domes were added during the Ottoman period. They are also both pierced by three large windows, which outside look like dormers.[15] All the domes rest on arches. The eastern arch sustaining the main dome is prolonged into a barrel vaultbema, flanked by niches which originally led to theProthesis andDiaconicon.[16] Only thediaconicon, covered with a cross-groined vault, survives.[16] The west arch sustaining the dome is filled in with a triple arcade resting on two marble columns topped by cubiccapitals.
The inner narthex is divided into three bays. The north one is covered with an Ottoman dome. The central one is surmounted by a barrel vault, while the south one is surmounted by a cross groined vault. The last two are Byzantine.[17]
The outer narthex is divided into five bays, the three central corresponding with those of the inner narthex. The central bay is covered by a central saucer dome resting onpendentives. It is separated by the two intermediate bays by columns set against pilasters. These two bays are covered with groined vaults put onioniccapitals, which resemble those used in theChurch of Saints Sergius and Baccus. The two external bays are surmounted by central saucer domes and are separated from the others by projecting pilasters.[15]
The exterior is clearly Ottoman. It is made with finely dressed and polished stone, with no tiles, and has a stone moulded cornice.[15] Above the drum of the halfdomes there is a stone molded cornice. The square base of the drum and the dome itself are faced with polished stone alternating with courses of three bricks set in a thick bed ofmortar.[15] Also the dome is crowned with a stone molded cornice. The roof is covered with lead.
The Byzantine monastery has disappeared completely, except for an undergroundcistern which lies southeast of the mosque.[5] A beautiful Byzantine carved door frame, possibly of the sixth century, belonging to the Medrese, has been brought to theIstanbul Archaeology Museum.
Despite its architectural significance, the building has never undergone a systematic study.
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