Abstract:

Mehmed Aga Mosque was located in a külliye comprising of a dervish lodge, a Turkish bath, a mausoleum, and a fountain in Çarşamba quarter of Istanbul’s Fatih district. Still existing with its mausoleum and Turkish bath, the mosque had been built by Davud Agha on the order of Chief Harem Eunuch Mehmed Agha. According to documents from archives, some restorations took place on the Mosquein the periods of Sultan Mahmud II (1808-1839), Sultan Abdulaziz (1861-1876) and Sultan Abdulhamid II (1876-1909). Stone decorations in Mehmet Aga Mosque, a building from the 16th century, we studied decorative use of stone material in structural and ornamental elements in this building. A showcase of the characteristic features regarding the use of stone material in its period, structure’s masonry consists of bricks and limestone used alternative manner. Along with the “kufeki” limestone, which is preferred in structural utilisation just like in the buildings of Sinan the Architect, quality stones such as Marmara marbles and serpentine breccia were used as ornamental features in the structure. When we examine the area of utilization for the stone ornaments we can see that they were used on the portal, mihrab, mimbar, mahfils, door and window frames, arches, pillars, pillar caps and bases, and inscriptions. Ornamentation techniques on the stone ornaments are made by ways of relief, engraving, latticework, sculpturing, inserting, and painting. Within the ornamentations made by ways of the traditional methods, geometric and floral ornamentations, calligraphies, and ornamentations depending of architectural shapes have a dominant effect. However, although limited, we can also see the examples of coloured stone decorations made by spolia. 

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