Ağa Mosque
The mosque located at the corner where Istiklâl Avenue intersects with Sakızağacı Street was formerly part of the Hüseyin Ağa neighborhood, named after its founder, but was later incorporated into the boundaries of the Şehid Muhtar Bey neighborhood. According to Hadîka, the mosque, built by Hüseyin Ağa, one of the aghas of Galata Palace, is today a structure with a stone roof and a minaret on its right side. Some sources note that its original form was domed, and in one of Hadîka's manuscripts, it is referred to as “Emin Bey Mosque.”
The inscription, which appears in the sources but no longer exists today, indicates that the construction date, calculated using the abjad numeration system, was 1005 (1596). Another inscription, consisting of eight lines bearing the seal of Mahmud II, which previously stood above the courtyard gate, reveals that the mosque was repaired by Mahmud II himself and, after it burned down, was restored a second time by the same sultan in 1250 (1834). Some encyclopedias conclude from the word “sûzan” (burning, fiery) found in the inscription that the person who had the repairs done was a woman named Sûzan. However, this claim is incorrect, as the word refers to the fire that the mosque suffered. After being neglected for a long time, the mosque was restored in 1934 by the Foundation Administration, including the enclosure walls. It is understood that the mihrab, walls, and minaret body are from the old structure. The roof, which was previously covered with tiles, has been covered with lead, and the eaves are decorated with rumili dentils. Inside, four thick square prism pillars support the flat roof; the gallery occupies almost the entire building.
