Ortakoy Mosque - a beautiful mosque in a wonderful and beautiful city in Turkey - Istanbul. It should be clarified that the mosque is officially known as the Great Mosque of Mecidiye (Buyuk Mecidiye Camii).

It is located in the district of Ortakoy in the new part of town near the Bosphorus Bridge. The mosque was built in the years 1853-1854 in the Ottoman Baroque style. The mosque was built on the orders of the sultan Abdul-Majid in the middle of the XIX century. Padishah living in the palace of Beylerbeyi on the opposite bank, especially for namaz swam on rowboats in Ortaköy Mosque. Due to its location right on the shores of the Bosphorus and the elegance of the structure it is one of the finest examples of late Ottoman architecture.

In 1853, Sultan Abdul-Majid I commissioned the construction of a mosque noble architect Nigogosu Balian, the author of the Dolmabahce Palace, which raised it as soon as possible. The mosque, built in the style of Ottoman baroque. It completed its construction in 1854. It has two minarets, adjacent to it, consisting of white stone slabs. It should be noted that each of the mosque has its own balcony, which the locals called Seref.

Ortakoy Mosque consists of two parts, as well as all the mosques that were built in the era of Abdul Majid I. This harem and private premises Sultan «hunkar». The walls and the interior of the mosque-dome decorated with beautiful colored mosaics. Fairly wide and high windows are well passed through a solar light reflect waters of the Bosphorus, which are iridescent. Prayer niche, complete with mosaics made of marble and the marble of the department, in turn, is covered with porphyry.

The mosque stands on a promontory, which the Byzantines called Claydon, which translates as "key" (the Bosphorus). Another small area of ​​the mosque found. It offers a magnificent view of the famous Bosphorus Bridge, which is one of the most beautiful and the longest suspension bridge in the world. The length of the bridge is 1560 m, height above water - 64 m, the distance between supports - 1074 m, and the height of poles - 165 m).

In the area of ​​Ortakoy, as in many public places of Istanbul love to feed the pigeons that flock here in large numbers here. Another local highlight in Ortaköy can call a special dish - Kumpir that you can try here. The essence of its preparation is simple: in a huge boiled potatoes selected core and filled with all sorts of fillings. You can buy it in the local shopping stalls. For stretches Ortaköy mosque in the whole street, consisting of just such larechkov.

Ortakoy Mosque today is one of the main attractions of Turkey.