Balat- Ismail Aga Mosque

Up on the hill of Fatih district this area, where is not far from my home, is called as Carsamba. Extremely conservative Islamic groups have been living there over a century. They were neighbors with Jewish and Christian minorities but these groups had to leave and now Islamic groups dominate the area. They are the strong supporters of current government. They have their own tv and radio. They used to be a closed group but seculars lost power and their time has come. The religion has enormous effect on politics in Turkey anymore.
Love to all.
About the mosque: Ismail Aga Mosque was built in 1724 with a design that was supposed to bring to mind the Kaaba in Mecca although its space is rather more cramped. The complex still has its school (sibyan mektabi) and medrese (seminary) which has since been converted into a school for the Koran. The mosque was named after Ismail Efendi (1645-1725) who became the Şeyhülislam (Minister of Islamic Affairs).