As part of our recent tour of Istanbul, we revisited one of our favourite mosques: Rüstem Paşa.

We mentioned this mosque way back in the summer of 2008 but didn't include any pictures with the article.  This time we remembered to take some, so you can see what exactly makes this one of the most beautiful small mosques in Istanbul.

 
Stand with your back to the entrance of the Spice Bazaar, look left across the square and you will see the minaret and dome of Rüstem Paşa mosque hidden by a row of single storey shops in the corner of the square.  The entrance is in the photo, above.

Rüstem Paşa was the son-in-law of Süleyman the Magnificent and this mosque was designed and built by Sinan.  It is covered, inside and out, with glorious Iznik tile.

The staircase leads to a peaceful courtyard where we were pleased to see one of the original marble ablution bowls being used by a cleaner to wash his mop!

This courtyard is a lovely place to unwind after a heavy day's sight seeing in old Istanbul, especially in the hotter summer months.

Inside there is more tile and this is a small mosque as opposed to the huge constructions created by successive sultans.  You can sit in a corner and enjoy its beauty.

And don't forget to look at the clock made in London, a gift from Queen Victoria to ensure the call to prayer was broadcast at the correct time.  What would the clockmaker have thought of creating clocks with Arabic numbers on the face, we wondered.

The clock appears to be in working order (we sneaked a peak inside) but wasn't working – maybe they lost the key?