Zal Pasha Mosque is an old Ottoman mosque located in the Nişanca district of Zalpaşa, in the Ayüp district of the European section of Istanbul. It is characterized by its traditional Ottoman style and is designed by Sinan architect.
The mosque was built in 1577 by order of Mahmud Pasha and his wife Shah Sultan (the sister of Sultan Murad) during the period of his ministry under Sultan Murad III. In the same year, Mahmoud Pasha died and three days later his wife, Sultan Shah died. Sultan's mother, Sultan of Sultan Nurbanu, received the proceeds of building the mosque. The mosque was completed in 1580.
In the middle of the mosque is a large dome with a diameter of 12.40 m, surrounded by four-column arches. The walls of the mosque were built of bricks and stone. The path of the mosque is built of square-cut stones.
The mosque contains the tomb of the pharaoh Mahmud Pasha and his wife Shah Sultan. The shrine covers a small dome with a diameter of 5.10 m.
The mosque was damaged in 1766 by the earthquake and was rebuilt during the reign of Sultan Mahmoud II. The mosque was reconstructed between 1955 and 1963 in a way that preserves decorations and inscriptions of the walls.
