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ULUSLARARASI HAKEMLİ TASARIM VE MİMARLIK DERGİSİ
Ocak / Şubat / Mart / Nisan 2017 Sayı: 10 Kış - İlkbahar
INTERNATIONALREFEREEDJOURNAL OF DESIGNANDARCHITECTURE
January / February / March / April 2017 Issue: 10 Winter – Spring
ID:166 K:271
ISSN Print: 2148-8142 Online: 2148-4880
(ISO 18001-OH-0090-13001706 / ISO 14001-EM-0090-13001706 / ISO 9001-QM-0090-13001706 / ISO 10002-CM-0090-13001706)
(Marka Patent No / Trademark
(2015/04018 – 2015/GE/17595)
288
ULUSLARARASI HAKEMLİ
TASARIM MİMARLIK DERGİSİ
INTERNATIONAL
REFEREED
JOURNAL
OF DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE
PRINT ISSN: 2148-8142 - ONLINE ISSN: 2148-4880
stone with a humble epitaph that Iskender Pasha was a vizier. Trabzon Governor Iskender Pasha
was one of the first Ottoman statesmen to receive the rank of vizier during governorship.
Iskender Pasha Mosque is a 16
th
century work of art typified with a single dome standing on
four walls. The epitaph on the mosque shows that it was built in 1529. In the obtained docu-
ments, it is mentioned that the mosque which is referred to as Meydan (Square) Mosque is a
building made of stone with a lead covered single piece dome and has a smooth minaret made
of bricks. Iskender Pasha Medrese (Madrasah) which is located at the North side of Iskender
Pasha Mosque and was presumably built in 1529, was one of the oldest madrasahs that could
survive until recent years in Trabzon. The building which was evacuated at the Republic Period
remained out of service for some time, and later its rooms were hired out to workers who did
not have houses. After 1950, during the renewal of the mosque surroundings, the madrasah
which was intact was demolished and only its entrance door remained standing. Iskender Pasha
Mosque which is the most important building named after Iskender Pasha, was built in 1529 by
Governor Iskender Pasha at the municipal square district during the reign of Kanuni Sultan
Süleyman according to its epitaph placed on the East of the Municipality building. Iskender
Pasha, was appointed Governor after Yavuz Sultan Selim became the Sultan in 1512, served as
the governor of Trabzon for 11 years, had the mosque and madrasah named after him built du-
ring the fourth period as a governor, and was buried in the graveyard next to the mosque he had
built when he died during his governorship in 1533. Later, Iskender Pasha Medrese (Madrasah)
which is located in its courtyard was removed, the graveyard at the west side was also removed
and only Iskender Pasha’s grave was preserved. The outer courtyard of the mosque is accessed
at the north through a historical, round arched, cut stone door. The mosque courtyard is surro-
unded by a white stone wall which is approximately 1.5 meters in height. In has an entry thro-
ugh the East side. The floor of the courtyard is covered with cut stone.
At the building at the
courtyard entry on the right corner located next to the municipality building, the lower floor is
being used as Imam’s room and the upper floor as Muezzin’s room. From the right side of the
entrance at the East, 16 steps descend to the Şadırvan (Water tank and fountain) under the co-
urtyard. The three parted last gathering place was probably changed through repairs and cove-
red with a hipped roof. On the right and left of the main outer door which faces the courtyard at
the north are round arched sections, in the middle of them there are round columns made of cut
stone starting from one meter height and in the corners there are columns whose halves are
seen. Other than the main entrance at the north, there are arched doors at the east and west di-
rections. In the middle of the last gathering place, a wooden mahfil (muezzin’s place) has been
MTD
www.mtddergisi.com
ULUSLARARASI HAKEMLİ TASARIM VE MİMARLIK DERGİSİ
Ocak / Şubat / Mart / Nisan 2017 Sayı: 10 Kış - İlkbahar
INTERNATIONALREFEREEDJOURNAL OF DESIGNANDARCHITECTURE
January / February / March / April 2017 Issue: 10 Winter – Spring
ID:166 K:271
ISSN Print: 2148-8142 Online: 2148-4880
(ISO 18001-OH-0090-13001706 / ISO 14001-EM-0090-13001706 / ISO 9001-QM-0090-13001706 / ISO 10002-CM-0090-13001706)
(Marka Patent No / Trademark
(2015/04018 – 2015/GE/17595)
289
ULUSLARARASI HAKEMLİ
TASARIM MİMARLIK DERGİSİ
INTERNATIONAL REFEREED
JOURNAL OF DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE
PRINT ISSN: 2148-8142 - ONLINE ISSN: 2148-4880
placed and attached to the side walls. The inner courtyard is accessed through the gathering
place. The inner courtyard is covered with a dome which is supported by the side walls and two
columns on the south and vault pieces on its east and west. The harem section has a dome sup-
ported by pendants. The mosque is lit with two rows of windows. The lower windows have big
with round arches and the upper ones have pointed arches and plaster mashes. There is a high
door made of cut stone right in the middle of the latest gathering place which consists of five
sections. The muezzin’s mahfil is on the right of the door which provides access to the middle
part. The mihrab and the pulpit are made of marble and have XIX century baroque ornaments.
The minaret is adjacent to the interior west wall and the minaret’s balcony is accessed through
a small door from the interior. The front facade walls which have been restored many times
afterwards were removed and replaced by thick columns, and arches were built above them to
support the dome and the plan was enlarged by moving the main facade walls backwards and
also a “last gathering place” was added. The epitaph on it belongs to the restoration in 1882.
Result: As a result, among the examined Iskender Pasha buildings, the most important one is
the Iskender Pasha Mosque. Old engravings and photographs show that Iskender Pasha Mosque
has reached its present form after undergoing changes many times. While it showed a single
unit space typology in its original form, it can be understood that the main space was enlarged
to the North by removing the North wall later and by adding two columns in its place and the
last gathering place portico which is existent at present was added. The single balcony minaret
is situated at the West surface, at the corner where the original main outer wall of the mosque
ends. The madrasah which used to be at the mosque courtyard was demolished and its hazire
(reserved area) in the West direction was removed. The mosque has moved away from its ori-
ginal form with the restorations done at different times. Iskender Pasha Mosque preserves its
characteristics of always being in the public eye and being a mosque visited by many people for
worship considering its location. The city square serves as a locomotive for the city and also as
the center of transport.
For this reason, the mosque responds to the
requirements of very inten-
sive use every day.