Merzifon – Kara Mustafa Paşa Mosque

The mosque was commissioned by Kara Mustafa Paşa and was built in 1666. The outer walls of this rectangular building are masoned with hewn stone. The portico has three cloisters created by four pillars adjoined by lancet arches and it has a wooden roof. The main space dedicated to worship is capped with a large dome. The space in the corners of the octagonal drum of the dome, which is adorned with inscriptions typical of the 19th cc., is supported by octagonal counterweight towers giving the building an aesthetic unity. The mosque is illuminated through two small windows on each facade of the drum of the dome and the six windows in two lines of three on each of the main walls.

One of the most striking features of the mosque is the fountain in the patio. The fountain, presumably built in the 19 cc. is mainly built of wood. The pointed copper cone of the fountain is supported by eight wooden piers.
The distinctive property of the fountain is the carvings on its ceiling panel. The carvings are known to be made by Zileli Hasan in 1875. There are three different landscapes depicted in these carvings. The first one is a landscape from İstanbul. Inspected closely, Galata and Beyazid Towers, Golden Horn and Galata Bridges, Sultanahmet, Hagiasophia and Süleymaniye Mosques are easily discerned. The second landscape in which the castle, the mills on the river and Beyazid Mosques are discernible is from Amasya. The third landscape is believed to depict the Ottoman army during the siege of
Vienna. The prevailing tendencies of the period banned picturing man. Therefore, instead of people there are cannons, tents and different weapons in this scene.
The entrance facing Taşhan is also worth seeing. The deep arch of the entrance, with a small cubicle above it, is built of varicolored stones. The patio also houses two old sycamores with a diameter of approximately three meters.