^#smrgSAHAF Converted Byzantine Churches in Istanbul: Their Transformation into Mosques and Masjids - 2001

After the conquest of Istanbul, a number of Byzantine churches were transformed into mosques. Because St. Sophia was the grandest of them all, by tradition it became the Great Mosque of Istanbul. Others were adapted to serve as the mosques of various educational centres. In this early period of transformation, those who had made names as commanders in the conquest played a leading role in the conversion of the Byzantine sanctuaries into mosques and masjids. These veterans, who were entrusted with the responsibility for rebuilding the city, would either have a masjid erected as the focus of the new neighbourhood they were establishing, or transform - if one existed - a Byzantine sanctuary already standing to serve the same purpose.

Intensive tranformation of Byzantine structures into mosques occurred especially during the reign of Mehmed 2, and the tradition was continued by the viziers and grand viziers of Bayezid 2. As the establishment of the new mahalles (neighbourhoods) slowed with the passing of time, the need for transforming Byzantine architecture also decreased, reaching a halt in the seventeenth century. From architectural point of view, the alterations to the converted structures were relatively insignificant save for the consturction of minarets and the addition of mihrabs. Repair and consolidation of the buildings focused mainly on minor architectural elements such as walls, doors, windows and columns.