The Green Mosque of Iznik was founded by Hayreddin Pasa, a grand vizier of Murad I known also as Çandarli Kara Halil. It was completed by Ali Pasa, his son and successor in the grand vizierate. The inscriptive plaque (kitabe) above door gives the date of construction, 780 A.H. - 794 A.H., and the name of the architect, Haci bin Musa. Damaged during the War of Independence in 1922, the mosque was restored by the General Directorate of Waqfs between 1956 and 1969.
The Green Mosque is located near the Lefke Gate on the eastern edge of the city. It is composed of a three-bay portico and a single prayer hall with the harem section partitioned by a colonnade. The last congregation area, formed by the portico, is raised on either side of the entry to form platforms for prayer that are enclosed with carved marble balustrades. The balustrades were rebuilt following their destruction during WW1. The portico is roofed with mirror vaults with an umbrella vault above the central bay. A rectangular frame of marble stalactites, inscribed into the central arch of the portico, marks the entry.
Inside, the harem section replicates the roof of the portico at a lower height, resting on three arches and two columns that divide the space of the prayer hall. Past the colonnade, the prayer hall is crowned with a single dome measuring 10.5 meters in diameter. The drum of the dome is ornamented with triangular planes and has four equally spaced windows. Gray marble panels coat the lower portion of walls in the room, terminating at the intricately carved frame of the stalactite mihrab niche. The exterior of the mosque is faced with finely cut ashlar stone. A single minaret rises from the northwestern corner of the mosque: its decoration, composed with glazed terra-cotta tiles in green, yellow, turquoise and dark purple gives the mosque its name.
Sources:
Iznik. Tarih ve Müze Komitesi Yayini, Kenan Matbaasi: Istanbul, 1943
Türkiye'de Vakif Abideler ve Eski Eserler. (Volume IV) Vakiflar Genel Müdürlügü Yayinlari: Ankara, 1972.
Ayverdi, Ekrem Hakki. Osmanli mi'marisinin ilk devri : Ertugrul, Osman, Orhan Gaaziler, Hüdavendigar ve Yildirim Bayezid 630-805 (1230-1402) : I. Baha Matbaasi: Istanbul, 1966.
Eyice, Semavi. Iznik: Tarihçesi ve Eski Eserleri (Nicaea: The History and the Monuments). Sanat Tarihi Arastirmalari Dergisi Yayinlari: Istanbul, 1988.
Kuran, Aptullah. The mosque in early Ottoman architecture. University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 1968.
Yalman, Bedri. Iznik (Nicaea). Governorship of Bursa, Provincial Directorate of Tourism: Bursa, 1999.
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