Guide
The mosque of Gazi Ömer Bey stands in the market area of Malkara, in Tekirdağ province, and was built in 1488. It is among the oldest surviving Ottoman mosques in Rumelia, which is the reason it matters beyond the town: square in plan, built of cut stone, with a single dome. It belongs to the General Directorate of Foundations and is a registered cultural property.
Gazi Ömer Bey lived in the reign of Mehmed II. He was brought up alongside his father, Gazi Turhan Bey, the conqueror of the Morea, and was a bold commander credited with many exploits in the field. His tomb stands in the courtyard immediately to the left of the mosque, on the northeast side, and the three-line inscription over its door is dated 1502. After recent restoration both buildings are in good order and open for prayer and for visits. Malkara is 56 kilometres from Tekirdağ; once in the town, minibuses go close to the mosque.
