Fatih Mosque and Complex (Fatih Camii ve Külliyesi)

Frommer's Review

A visit to this mosque is more of a pilgrimage to its illustrious permanent resident, Fatih Mehmet the Conqueror, than to the building and complex, which were constructed over the rubble of the original that collapsed in the earthquake of 1766. The medreses (schools) founded by the sultan are the only surviving sections of a complex that included a caravansary, a hospital, several hamams, the kitchens, and a market, which combined to form a university that instructed up to 1,000 students at any given time. Wanting a monument more spectacular than that of Ayasofya, the sultan cut off the hands of the architect, Atik Sinan (not Süleyman's Sinan), when the Fatih Mosque failed to surpass the height of the church, despite its position atop the fourth of the seven hills of Istanbul. The tombs of Mehmet II and his wife are located in front of the mihrab wall.

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