Many of its additional buildings, which made up the original mosque complex, are still standing today amid the mosque's garden, including the structures that formerly functioned as a medrese (theological college) and soup kitchen.
In the front courtyard, before entering the mosque, make sure to note the ablution fountain with its roof, which has highly detailed murals of Amasya painted on its ceiling.
Inside, the prayer hall holds a particularly ornate minber of carved wood and a white marble mihrab but is more impressive for the overall sense of refinement created by the airy, soaring double-domed interior.
Sultan Beyazıt II (reigned 1481-1512) served as governor of Amasya for 27 years before ascending the throne, and although he also has a very fine mosque dedicated to him in Istanbul, it is this one here, built during his reign and overseen by his son Şehzade Ahmet who took over the area's governing role, which is the grandest.
Sultanahmet Cami, Istanbul, Turkey
