Yıldırım Bayezid Mosque: Edirne’s Ottoman Place of Worship
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.8
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Turkey
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Ottoman
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Mosque
History
Yıldırım Bayezid Mosque is an Ottoman mosque in Edirne, Turkey, commissioned by Sultan Bayezid I at the end of the fourteenth century. Bayezid I, also known as Yıldırım Bayezid, ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1389 to 1402; the title Yıldırım means “Thunderbolt” and refers to the speed of his military campaigns. The mosque is regarded as the oldest in Edirne and remains an active place of worship.
The mosque stands within an inner courtyard reached through three gates. Built of cut stone and brick, it has eastern and western entrances and a single minaret. A domed room stands on each side of the mosque, while the main prayer space is covered by a dome measuring 8 metres in diameter. Stained-glass windows decorate the upper level.
During the Russian occupation of 1877, the mosque’s tiles were stolen and the building was used as a food store. It is now in good condition and continues its religious function.
