Chemsi Pacha Mosque
This charming mosque complex right on the waterfront was designed by Sinan and built in 1580 for grand vizier, Şemsi Ahmet Paşa. It is modest in size and decoration, reflecting the fact that its benefactor (whose tomb has an opening into the mosque)
only occupied the position of grand vizier for a couple of months under Süleyman the Magnificent. When this book went to press, the mosque and its adjoining medrese were closed for restoration. Next to the mosque you’ll find the run-down Şemsi Paşa Çay Bahçesi, a decent place to recover from a hectic schedule of Üsküdar mosque viewing if the weather is fine. Behind it, there’s always a posse of fishermen trying their luck in the choppy waters.
Turkey Sightseeing
