This is the Muradiye mosque, by the greatest Turkish architect, Sinan. It is one of his last works, from 1582-1585, who built it for Murat III.

Architect: Mimar Sinan, by proxy, but he may have visited the site on his return from the Pilgrimage to Mecca.
His first deputy, Mahmut Ağa, died and was succeeded by Mehmet Ağa, who later built the complex of Ahmet I (the ‘Blue Mosque’ and its annexes) in Istanbul.

On the picture: The northern gallery and the ‘şadırvan’.

A Şadırvan (from the Persian ‘Sadirvan’) is a type of fountain that is usually built in the yard or entrance in front of mosques or other buildings where ritual prayers can be held, with the main purpose of providing water for drinking or ritual ablutions to several people at the same time, but also as decorative visual or sound element. It is a typical element of Ottoman architecture. It is also called ‘abdest alma çeşmesi’ (= fountain for ablutions).

Correspondent: J.M.Criel, Antwerpen.
Sources: ‘Islamic Architecture: Ottoman Turkey’ (Godfrey Goodwin) – London 1977
& Website of ‘Manisa Il Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü’ .