The Arab Mosque (Istanbul City Guide, Map 15), contrary to the information that it was a mosque built by the Arabs who besieged Constantinople in 716 (Arseven, 1989), is a monastery-church built by members of the Dominican Order living in Genoese Galata in the 14th century (Eyice, 1969). It was believed that the structure was built as a mosque because Evliya Çelebi stated that the mosque was built towards the qibla and because its minaret was similar to that of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. According to both Arab and Byzantine sources, it is known that the Arabs built a mosque in Istanbul, but that this mosque was located in the historical peninsula and was destroyed during the Latin Invasion in 1204. Therefore, this mosque has no connection with the Arab Mosque (Koçu, 1956, p.938).

The name of the building was mentioned as "Galata Mosque" in the Fatih Foundation Charter in 1475, when it was opened for worship. Since Andalusian Muslims who migrated from Spain in 1492 were settled in this region, Galata Mosque was called Arab Mosque over time. (Koçu, 1956, p.941).

In order to understand the layers and history of the structure, it is necessary to know the process of the Genoese coming to the region. The Genoese, who lost their commercial privileges in this region as a result of the occupation of Constantinople by the Latins in 1204, began to settle in Galata in the 13th century. During this settlement, an abandoned Byzantine church named Saint Eirene from the 6th century, near the Golden Horn shore of Galata, was allocated to the Genoese as a burial ground. A small church dedicated to Saint Paulus was built in this area during the Latin occupation. In 1325, the church was enlarged by members of the Dominican order, a Catholic sect, and was named the “San Paolo and San Domenico” monastery. This is the only Gothic church remaining from before the conquest of Istanbul. The structure we see as the Arab Mosque today is the one completed in the 14th century and called "San Paolo and San Domenico" (Eyice, 1969, p.45 & Pazazzo, 2014).

It is thought that the Hagia Eirene Church, one of the oldest churches in Old Galata and allocated as a cemetery to the Genoese, was also located in this area (A. Schneider – î. Nomidis: Galata, Istanbul 1944, p.19).
In fact, during the comprehensive renovation work carried out in the mosque between 1956 and 939, more than a hundred Italian gravestones from the 1913th and 1919th centuries were found under the floor and were taken to the Istanbul Archaeological Museums (Eyice, 1991, p. 326).

The plan of the fourteenth-century structure is a three-nave basilica built in the Italian Gothic style. The church, which has a square apse surrounded by chapels on two sides, does not have a narthex. Marble columns separate the central and side naves. However, the only marble column that has survived intact to the present day carries the imperial gallery in the northeast corner of the current structure. The central nave is covered with a wooden roof up to the bema. The bema section is higher than the side naves and is covered with a single and impressive cross vault measuring 6.7 × 7.0 meters. On both sides of the bema
There is a room with similar vaults. The original bell tower in the southeast was later converted into a minaret. The original windows are narrow and pointed arched. It is also understood that there was a rose window on the east wall of the apse, which was later canceled (Akyürek, 2011, p.304).

With the conquest of Istanbul in 1453, the San Domenico church was converted into a mosque by the order of Fatih Sultan Mehmet. It was repaired during the reign of Mehmed III (1595-1603) and the houses surrounding it were demolished at the end of the 1734th century. Mahmud I's mother, Salih Sultan, had a new fountain built in 1807. Although the mosque suffered a fire in 1868, it was repaired immediately. In 1913, a cistern and the fountain seen today were built under the courtyard. The roof of the Arap Mosque was removed in 1919-1991, the wall on the courtyard side was taken down and moved forward, a new narthex was built, and the inside loggias were rebuilt on wooden pillars. The cell to the left of the mihrab was arranged as the "Mesleme's cellar", and outside, in the place of the removed staircase of the sultan's gallery, an Arap Baba tomb was arranged (Eyice, 326, p.XNUMX).

More important than the architecture of the structure is the decorations inside and the craftsmen who made them. It was possible to learn about the works of art in the structure from the frescoes that were found under the plaster that fell after the 1999 earthquake. During the survey in 2006 and the restoration work between 2007 and 2012, previously unknown frescoes and mosaics were found. It is certain that Byzantine craftsmen worked on the structure, both in terms of the style of depiction and the location of the depiction. The fact that Byzantine painters made the frescoes in the structure on behalf of Catholics constitutes a very rare example in the world in terms of people who normally did not like each other because of their sectarian differences working together (Çetinkaya, 2010).

references

Akyürek, E., (2011). Dominican Wall Paintings in Constantinople of the Palaiologan Period: Frescoes of the Galata Arab Mosque (San Domenico Church). Istanbul.
Arseven, CE, (1989). Old Galata and Its Buildings. Çelik Gülersoy Foundation Publications, Istanbul. pp.46-50.
Çetinkaya, H., (2010). ''Arab Mosque in Istanbul: Its Arthitecture and Frescoes''. Anatolia Antiqua, Vol. 18, 2010, pp. 169-188.
Ergin, ON, (1934). Istanbul City Guide. Printing and Publications Turkish Joint Stock Company, Istanbul.
Eyice, S., (1969). Galata and its Tower, Turkish Touring and Automobile Association, Istanbul.
Eyice, S., (1991). "Arab Mosque" Article. TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, Volume 3, Istanbul., pp. 5326-327. URL: https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/arap-camii (27.04.2024).
Koçu, RE, (1946). Istanbul Encyclopedia, Volume II, Istanbul Encyclopedia and Publications, Istanbul.
Palazzo, PB, (2014). “Arap Mosque or Saint Paul Church”, Bilge Karınca Publications, Istanbul.

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