The name Fatih Mosque (Conqueror's Mosque) comes from the name of the Ottoman sultan who conquered Constantinople, in Turkish Fatih Sultan Mehmed, meaning sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. It is today one of the greatest examples of classical Ottoman architecture. . Built in 1771 after the 1766 earthquake, that destroyed the original building, it has one central dome supported by four semi-domes. Like other large mosques in Istanbul, the Fatih Mosque has many elements reminiscent of the Byzantine Hagia Sophia.
The conquest of Constantinople had a huge impact on Ottoman architecture. It was Hagia Sophia that made the greatest impression on the Turks, who began to use its structural elements. Most mosques built over many centuries resemble a Byzantine cathedral. The great central dome, reinforced with half-domes, is how Istanbul's mosques look like.
