Arap Camii

A mosque in Galata known for its square minaret with a pointed cap. According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, a church built by Dominican friars in the 14th century stood on the site; around 1475 it was converted into a mosque as part of Mehmed the Conqueror's endowment and was first called the Galata Mosque. It took the name Arap Mosque after Andalusian Muslims settled in the area after 1492. The minaret is the converted former bell tower and recalls Umayyad minarets in Syria, and Gothic vaults survive on the qibla side. Repaired under Saliha Sultan and Adile Sultan, the building underwent a major restoration between 1913 and 1919. It is an active neighbourhood mosque today.