Yeni camii - Eminönü
sa construction fut entreprise dès 1597, par la mère de Mehmet III, pour s’achever qu’en 1660. C’est avec la mosquée d’Eyüp, la plus importante de la ville sur le plan religieux. Même si elle écrase de sa masse imposante la place Eminönü, cette mosquée est un exemple harmonieux d’architecture ottomane classique. Avec sa superposition de coupoles et de demi-coupoles et ses deux minarets à triples balcons, elle est élégante, sans être originale. Elle est surtout remarquablement située au fond de la place Eminönü, à la sortie du pont de Galata.
Deux portes latérales donnent accès à la salle de prière.
Elle forme un carré de quarante et un mètres de côté et est bordée par quatre gros piliers qui soutiennent la coupole. Les murs, jusqu’au-dessus des galeries, et les parties basses des piliers sont décorées de faïences émaillées aux teintes bleues, tandis que la coupole et les demi-coupoles sont ornées de motifs géométriques et floraux, peints également dans la gamme des bleus. A gauche se trouve l’ancienne loge impériale. Proche du pont de Galata, du bazar Egyptien et jouxtant l’un des plus importants débarcadères de la ville, elle est le jour durant, environnée par la cohue continuelle d’une circulation très dense.
The Yeni Mosque, New Mosque or Mosque of the Valide Sultan (Turkish: 'Yeni Cami, Yeni Valide Camii') is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in the Eminönü district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is situated on the Golden Horn at the southern end of the Galata Bridge. It is one of the best-known sights of Istanbul.
The first stage in construction of the mosque started in 1597 with a decree by Safiye Sultan, the wife of Sultan Murad III. The original architect was Davut Aga, an apprentice to the great Mimar Sinan. However, Davut Aga died in 1599 and was replaced by Dalgic Ahmed Cavus.
The project was hampered by political disconnect, and its location and monetary implications created dissent in the court. The Eminönü neighborhood was the city's foremost commercial center, and home to a predominantly Jewish population. In situating the mosque there, Safiye Sultan hoped to extend the sphere of Islamic influence within the city, capitalizing on the growing discontent of local and foreign merchants with the growing power and influence of their Jewish counterparts, which gave the Sultan an easy justification for confiscating their property. However, the vast monetary outlay drew sharp criticism. In particular, the Janissaries resented the growing political power of the Valide Sultan, and believed the mosque to be an unnecessary expenditure. Safiye Sultan was forced to abandon the project upon Mehmet III's death. The new Sultan Ahmed I had no interest in pursuing the project after Safiye Sultan was relegated to the harem and the construction was abandoned.
The partially constructed structure fell into ruins, and was largely destroyed by a fire in 1660. Later that year, the imperial architect Mustafa Aga suggested that Valide Turhan Hadice, mother of Sultan Mehmet IV, complete the project as a work of piety. The mosque was finally finished in 1663, and inaugurated in 1665.
