Ahi Çelebi Mosque

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Property Name: Ahi Celebi Mosque
Inventory No: 90-212-19
Date of infill of the inventory form: 2009-08-12
Country (State party): Turkey
Province: İstanbul
Town: Fatih
Geographic coordinates: 41° 1′ 8.18″ N
28° 58′ 6.2″ E
Historic Period: 16th century, 1st half
Year of Construction: after 1539
Style: Classical Ottoman
Original Use: Mosque
Current Use: Mosque
Architect: Architect Sinan

Significance
The mosque has an important place in Istanbul folklore being the location where Evliya Çelebi, the famous Ottoman traveler and writer, saw the famous dream that resulted in his long journeys. The mosque is an example of single-domed structures and has an late comers porch covered with six shallow domes. The original mosque was probably built in 15th century and was renovated by Architect Sinan after the fire in 1539. The mosque had suffered another fire in 1653 and earthquakes in 1892 and 1999.

Selection Criteria
ii. to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design
iii. to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared
vi. to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance

State of Preservation
The mosque had suffered firesand earthquakes, but architectural elements of classical Ottoman style was preserved. Recently, the mosque is being restored.

References
Kuran, Abdullah. Mimar Sinan, Hurriyet Vakfi Yayinlari, Istanbul, 1986.