Travel Photography | Ortaköy Mosque Under Restoration
© 2012 Wazari Wazir | Ortaköy Mosque Under Restortion | Istanbul Turkey
Ortaköy (literally Middle Village in Turkish) is a neighbourhood, formerly a small village, within the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey, located in the middle of the European bank of the Bosphorus.
Ortaköy was a cosmopolitan area during the Ottoman era and the first decades of the Turkish Republic, with communities of Turks, Greeks, Armenians and Jews.
Today the neighbourhood still hosts many different religious (Muslim, Jewish, Orthodox, and other Christian) structures. It is also a popular spot for locals and tourists alike, with its art galleries, night clubs, cafés, bars, and restaurants.
The Neo-Baroque style Ortaköy Mosque is a beautifully ornate structure, right on the jetty of Ortaköy, bordering the waters of the Bosphorus, and thus highly visible from the passing boats.
Ortaköy has had an important place in the daily life of the city during both the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. In the 16th century, the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent encouraged the Turks to move to Ortaköy and live there, which marked the beginning of the Turkish presence in the neighbourhood. One of the oldest buildings in Ortaköy is the Turkish Bath built by the famous Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan in 1556.
The famous Ortaköy Mosque, located on the coastal pier square, was originally built in the 18th century. Later, in the 19th century, the current mosque, ordered by Sultan Abdülmecid I and designed by architects (father and son) Garabet Amira Balyan and Nigoğayos Balyan in Neo-Baroque style, was edificed between 1854 and 1856. ( WikiPedia)
We visit Ortakoy in April this year but unfortunately it was under restoration, actually it is not just Ortakoy, but many historical buildings in Istanbul also are having either renovation or restoration, we have been to AyaSofya previously and the water fountain outside of the AyaSofya bordering Blue Mosque also under renovation (it was covered with plastic around it) and not to forget also, the interior of Fatih Mosque also under restoration.
Actually I was a little bit disappointed when I saw that the mosque were covered with a huge canvas from top to bottom, we were walking all the way from Kabatas Metro Station to Ortakoy, hoping to get a glimpse and photograph this magnificent building but I guess it is just not our lucky day and maybe I should make a come back, talking about “Istanbul Aku Datang” Malaysian movie or when translated loosely means, “Istanbul, Here, I Come”. Yes I want to visit Istanbul once again after all the restoration has ben completed, insyaAllah, God Willing.
This is a link of some photographs of Ortakoy Under Restoration
