92 honored by the glory of islamfelicity of religion,” for whom the valide sultan had built a lodge in the complex
as well; the representative of the descendants of Muhammad; the preacher and
imam of the mosque; and the chief eunuch.^54
The mosque that had once been nicknamed “Oppression” became known
as “Justice” (Adliye) since, when she decided to build the mosque, the valide sul-
tan had said, “Let the task be undertaken with justice.”^55 “Justice” refers to thejust expenditure of the dynasty’s wealth. In the sixteenth century Mustafa Ali
explained that charitable establishments such as imperial complexes, including
Suleiman I’s mosque complex, were to be fi nanced by the spoils of war since
using funds from the public treasury squandered wealth.^56 By linking the build-
ing of the mosque to the conquest of an infi del (Jewish) place, by framing it in
an older ghazi language of appropriation, legitimizing the building program by
considering it the Islamization of infi del space, and by contributing a great deal
of the dynasty’s wealth (her own) to the complex’s construction, Hatice Turhan
sought to promote the view that it was fi nanced appropriately.
A key aspect of the mosque complex is its economic signifi cance. The stra-
tegic location of the mosque was chosen in part because of “the commercial
advantage of the waterfront site.”^57 A central element of the mosque complex
was the Egyptian Market, a major center of commerce both within the T-shaped,
red brick, domed structure and in the plazas and streets that radiate from it.
The dynasty’s treasury, like the empire’s, had been depleted, and this market
consisting of numerous stores enriched both. The opening of the market and
the eye-dazzling glitter of its copper-covered spires signaled that the city of Is-
tanbul would continue to be a major international center for trade even after
devastating natural disaster.^58 The dynasty’s clearing out a space at the city’s
center and endowing a building whose benefi ts would accrue to it was a smart
fi nancial move, especially as all incoming traders would be pulled into its vor-
tex by the fl ow of people from the harbor. The hundreds of fruit-bearing trees
ornamenting an outer courtyard of the mosque symbolized the spiritual gain
to be made from the construction of the mosque and the fi nancial gain from itsaffi liated markets. As it is today, the Egyptian Market was an unavoidable fi rst
stop in the city; then it was a fi nancial plus for the royal family, and a morale
booster for those traders who would benefi t from it.
Constructing such an important mosque that, although possessing an ex-
terior wall, seems to mingle among the subjects, not tower over them, points
to one of the outstanding features of Mehmed IV’s reign: a symbolic and often
actual return to the personal presence of the sovereign. It was built not on
a promontory, as were Topkapı Palace and Suleiman I’s mosque, but practi-
cally at sea level. Mehmed IV was not like his father, Ibrahim, who did not
want commoners to hinder his excursions with their annoying complaints.^59