Rustem Pasha Mosque Tour

Istanbul E-pass includes Spice Bazaar Area Guided Tour with English speaking Professional Guide. For details, please check "Hours & Meeting".

Rustem Pasha Mosque

The Rustem Pasha Mosque in Eminonu is one of the mosques with the most beautiful tile decorations among the historical mosques in Istanbul. While many people visiting Eminonu visit the Yeni Mosque, they are unfortunately unaware of Rustem Pasha Mosque, although it is one of the most beautiful works of Architect Sinan.

The location of the mosque is between the shops in Tahtakale and exhibits a plain appearance from the outside, it gives its visitors an atmosphere of a tile museum when entered. The grand vizier Rustem Pasha, the wife of Mihrimah Sultan, the daughter of Kanuni, built this beautiful structure.

Rustem Pasha became one of the most important grand viziers of the Kanuni period. He was an ambitious man with the economic knowledge that a money changer would need rather than a grand vizier. Suleiman the Magnificent saw her when she was the third vizier and decided to marry her daughter Mihrimah.

After he became the Grand Vizier, he engaged in the necessary intrigues for the murder of Prince Mustafa and paved the way for the sultanate to the princes, who were from his mother-in-law Hurrem Sultan. He was removed from the position of grand vizier for a while because Janissaries loved Mustafa very much but he got back to his seat by ensuring the execution of Ahmet Pasha.

During the reign of Kanuni, the empire had reached its peak. While income stabilized, the expense was increasing. Rustem Pasha changed the timar system to find resources. While there is cash in the short run, the system has collapsed in the long run. Thus, Rustem Pasha became one of those who joined the group of economic geniuses that brought destruction in the long run. Let me provide the economic connection by stating that the Rustem Pasha Mosque rises above more than ten shops.

The tomb of Rustem Pasha is not found in the mosque he had built. His tomb is in the Sehzade Mosque, which was built by Sultan Suleyman for his son Mehmet, who died at an early age.

How to get to Rustem Pasha Mosque?

From old city hotels: You can take the T1 tram to Eminonu district and walk 2-3 minutes to the main entrance of the Bazaar.

From Taksim hotels: You can take the F1 funicular to Kabatas station and change the line to the T1 tram from Kabatas to Eminonu district. From there you need to walk 2-3 minutes to the Spice Bazaar.