Under Ottoman administration, architecture became an important symbol of the social and economic changes in the city, as the Ottomans strove to extend their influence and integrate local inhabitants into their empire. Monumental architecture, in particular, was used to affirm, extend and consolidate imperial holdings. Administrators and bureaucrats-many of them indigenous Bosnians who converted to Islam-founded mosque complexes that generally included Quranic schools, soup kitchens or markets. The grandest mosques were characterized by a large single dome, like the Koski Mehmet Pasa Mosque on the east bank of the Neretva River or the Karagöz Mosque, bearing many hallmarks of the famous Ottoman architect Sinan. New and existing neighborhoods developed quickly on both banks of the Neretva during the Ottoman period, with one and two-storey wooden houses of simple construction, but with rich and expressive interiors. Typical house plans were centered around a courtyard, accessible through a street-level. The Biščevića house is a surviving example of the characteristics of Mostar's vernacular architecture: an austere entrance belies interiors with painted built-in cabinets, elaborately carved wooden ceilings and a room that cantilevers over the Neretva River. Perhaps the most iconic of Ottoman structures in the city, was the Stari Most (Old Bridge), constructed from 1557 to 1566 to replaced a previously existing, and precarious, wooden suspension bridge. Facilitating travel, trade, and the movement of military troops, the bridge became a symbol of the benevolence and power of the Ottoman Empire.