The Mosques of Kemeraltı
Sign in to like and rate
A few hundred metres of Kemeraltı hold seven Ottoman mosques spanning the 17th century to the early 20th, and each tells a different chapter of the bazaar. The single-domed classical scheme, prayer halls raised above rows of shops, the Western-influenced ornament of the late period; all within walking distance. Start at the tiled Yalı Mosque on Konak Square, follow Anafartalar into the bazaar, finish at Kestanepazarı. A kilometre and a half, fifteen minutes per mosque; in two and a half hours you have seen both history and market.
Route Stops
Konak Pier Mosque.
Begin with the octagonal mosque of 1755; the Kütahya tiles on the facade open the day gracefully.
Kemeraltı Mosque.
This is your first stop as soon as you enter Anafartalar. The single-domed mosque of 1671 gave the bazaar its name, so pause a minute in its courtyard.
Salepcioglu Mosque.
A few streets in, the two-storey mosque of 1906; look at its green dome and the late period's Western-influenced ornament.
Başdurak (Haci Hüseyin) Mosque.
Back on Anafartalar, climb the stairs to the 1652 mosque above the shops; baroque painted decoration awaits.
Hisar Mosque.
Hisar, from 1592, is İzmir's largest historic mosque; stay a little longer for the courtyard and marble minbar.
Şadırvanaltı Mosque.
Two minutes on you will find the 1636 mosque and the great fountain beneath it. The prayer hall again sits above the shops, so look for the stairs.
Kestanepazarı Mosque.
End at the 1667 mosque that keeps the classical scheme with its eight-columned portico; catch your breath at the fountain in the courtyard.
