ABSTRACT
The vanguard castles of Seddülbahir and Kumkale at the entrance to the Dardanelles had served as Turhan Sultan’s debut into the royal practice of architectural patronage, but it was the creation of an immense socio-religious complex, the Yeni Valide mosque complex, in the Ottoman capital of İstanbul which fully established and securely legitimated the queen mother’s power and advertised her piety. The fortresses at Seddülbahir and Kumkale, while formidable structures, were in the provinces, far from the administrative center of the empire, hence they represent a return to an earlier model of architectural patronage for an Ottoman valide, in terms of location but not typology. Once the immediate threat from the Venetians had abated, Turhan Sultan initiated the construction of the large Yeni Valide complex which, in addition to the mosque, included a tomb (türbe), market structures (the Mısır Çarşısı), a royal pavilion (hünkâr kasrı), primary school (sıbyan mektebi) and a large fountain (sebilhane). This prominent foundation would be located in the heart of İstanbul’s commercial quarter, Eminönü (Fig. 5.1). Its visual impact when completed can be assessed from the late nineteenth-century photograph by Sébah and Joaillier, which shows the huge multiple-domed structure rising above the bustle of the market area (Fig. 5.2).
