The Last Grand Külliye of Istanbul: The Yeni Valide Mosque Complex and the Little Ice Age

Abstract

The construction of the Yeni Valide Mosque complex, located on the northern edge of Istanbul’s historical peninsula in the district of Eminönü, began in 1597 under the patronage of Sultan Mehmed III’s mother Safiye Sultan. The project was halted abruptly in 1603 at the foundation phase and stood dormant for almost six decades. Between 1661 and 1663, another royal woman patron, Valide Hatice Turhan, supported the revision and completion of the project. Although scholars have long examined the construction process, architecture, and decoration of the project in detail, I reevaluate our knowledge of the monument based on recent scientific discoveries regarding the climate change phenomenon known as the ‘Little Ice Age’, which reached its peak in the seventeenth century. As we address another major climate change event today, this study provides insight into our understanding of the social, cultural, and historical impacts of such dramatic changes to climate conditions on architectural projects and urban dynamics in the Ottoman Empire.