Nilüfer Hatun İmareti (Türk İslam Eserleri Müzesi)

The imaret, commissioned in 1388 in memory of Nilüfer Hatun, mother of Sultan I. Murad, was the first to be built with an inverted T plan in Ottoman architecture. It was constructed using three courses of brick and one of stone. Initially, it served as a dervish lodge for the Ahis, then as a charitable institution distributing food to the poor.

It was used as storage during the Republican period and opened as a museum in 1960. The five-bay entrance portico, domed arcade, three-line marble inscription, central dome with a lantern, and cut stones from the Roman Theater can be seen.

Visit note: It entered restoration in 2012 and remained closed for eight years, reopening in June 2020; since 2022, it has housed the Museum of Turkish Islamic Art. A travel source has reported a temporary closure due to work on the artifacts and a 70 TL admission fee; these should be confirmed in advance.

The information in this listing was compiled from the following sources:

• tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nil%C3%BCfer_Hatun_%C4%B0mareti
• iznik.bel.tr/tr/sayfa/kulturel-varliklar-47
• muze.gov.tr/muze-detay?SectionId=BIZ01&DistId=MRK
• enuygun.com/bilgi/iznik-te-gezilecek-yerler/

The information was verified on the date of compilation. We recommend calling the venue before your visit.

Cover image: Wikimedia Commons · Kurmanbek · CC BY-SA 4.0