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An Ottoman-era mosque that disappeared from Istanbul's historic skyline nearly 70 years ago is being rebuilt along the Sarayburnu waterfront, near Topkapi Palace, as part of a wider effort to bring back religious buildings lost during the city's urban redevelopment.
Known as the Bostancilar Tabhanesi Mosque or Yedekciler Mosque, the structure originally stood between Sarayburnu and Ahirkapi, just outside the sea walls of Topkapi Palace.
Built during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, it initially served sick members of the palace's bostanci corps, who were responsible for maintaining the imperial gardens and performing security duties.
The mosque was demolished during coastal road construction in the 1950s, when redevelopment projects permanently changed Istanbul's historic waterfront.
Fatih Municipality is now reconstructing the building using archival photographs, maps, and engravings, with plans to reopen it during the next Ramadan.
Fatih Mayor Mehmet Ergun Turan told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the mosque had once been the only place of worship immediately outside Istanbul's historic sea walls.
Its minaret was among the first landmarks visible to travelers approaching the historic peninsula from Uskudar, across the Bosporus, or by sea.
However, the building began falling into disrepair in the 1930s, and its minaret was demolished during the following decade. By the time coastal road projects reshaped the waterfront in the 1950s and early 1960s, the mosque had disappeared entirely.
According to Turan, the structure also served different purposes throughout its history, including as a quarantine facility for sailors arriving by sea and as a place where medical procedures were carried out.
The municipality tracked down historical documents showing the building's location and appearance before submitting a reconstruction proposal to the regional conservation board in 2019.
The project subsequently received approval.
Beyond restoring the mosque as a place of worship, the municipality plans to turn its additional buildings into cultural spaces.
Turan said the complex could house a library and an exhibition hall, including displays featuring a significant collection, although further details of the collection were not provided.
The project forms part of a broader reconstruction program across Fatih, Istanbul's historic central district, where the municipality is working to bring back buildings lost during earlier infrastructure and redevelopment projects.
According to Turan, eight mosques have already been reconstructed and reopened for worship, while another 10 projects are underway. Planning, approval procedures, and archaeological excavations are continuing for more than 30 additional structures.
The mayor emphasized that the mosque reconstruction projects are funded entirely by private donors rather than public resources.
The wider preservation program also covers tekkes, or Sufi religious lodges, traditional Ottoman schools, madrasas, fountains, tombs and historic burial grounds.
Turan said the municipality would continue restoring and reconstructing lost heritage structures as funding and official approvals become available.
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