photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Dick Osseman | all galleries >> Bursa >> Bursa mosques >> Green Mosque - Yeşil Mosque > Bursa Yesil (green) Mosque
previous | next

Bursa Yesil (green) Mosque

view map

One of the truly great mosques in Bursa is the Yesil or Green (1424). It has a wealth of great tiles and carving, apart from just being good architecture. This is a detail.

The Yeşil Cami (‘Green’ mosque, because of the predominant colour of its tiles inside) is the most decorated of the city’s houses of prayer. Built for sultan Mehmed I Çelebi (1389-1421) by the architect Hacı Ivaz Paşa, who was also an army commander and a vizier; he is the architect of the Yeşil Türbe (mausoleum) too. The mosque’s building was completed in 1419, its inner decoration in 1424.

Following the earthquake in 1855, the building underwent an extensive renovation led by the French architect Léon Parvillée, as Ahmet Vefik Paşa, the Vali (governor) of Bursa, was unable to find a qualified Turkish architect. Parvillée managed to save the mosque, but he lacked experience of the Seljukian and early Ottoman architecture. He was also hampered by shortages of money and skilled labour. The original decorations of the vaults and the walls were not restored.

On the picture: The drum of the interior dome above the southwest corner room, and the muqarnas (stalactite decoration) hiding the pendentives that make the transition from the circular dome to the square structure below. The paintings of the walls were executed in the Neo-Baroque manner of late Ottoman style. Since this picture was taken, the paintings have been restored.

Correspondent: J.M.Criel, Antwerpen.
Sources: ‘Vakıf Abideler ve eski Eserler’ - Vakıflar Genel Müdürlüğü III, Ankara 1983 - Wikipedia,


other sizes: small medium large original auto
comment | share