After the stunning conquest of Constantinople by the Turks, the main shrine of the Ottoman Empire for many years was considered the temple of St. Sophia. But by order of Sultan Ahmed I already in the beginning of the XVII century in the capital was erected a Mosque, by monumentality not inferior to the relic of the emperors of Byzantium.
History of the construction of the mosque
The first stone of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul was laid in 1609. Sultan then only celebrated his nineteenth birthday. According to legend, Ahmet І construction of this building tried to pacify the sins committed in his youth. Another version in the history is more believable: at that time an agreement was signed between the Sultan and the Austrian emperor, in which both rulers declared themselves equal. This behavior of the sultan caused discontent in Istanbul, he was suspected of having retreated from Islam. And it was the Sultanahmet mosque in Istanbul that became the evidence that was required for the people.
The construction of the Blue Mosque in Turkey was carried out under the project of Mehmed-agi, the architect who is considered the most talented student of Khoja Sinan. This architectural masterpiece he built relatively quickly - for seven years. The Sultan Ahmet Mosque in 1616 opened its doors. People began to call it Blue because of tiles of the appropriate color, which adorned the interior. All tiles are more than two thousand, they cover the walls of the ancient mosque with a solid carpet.
Features of architecture
The place where the Blue Mosque is located, was formerly occupied by the former palace of the Byzantine rulers. In general, it fits into the traditional style of Muslim architecture in forms. The fact that its model served as the temple of St. Sophia, eloquently testify to the dome of the mosque. The central is surrounded by four half-domes, under which there are four small domes. The only innovation is the presence of six minarets. This was the reason for the anger of Muslims, since the orthodox elders of the Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, which had five minarets, thought that thus Ahmet І belittled the significance of the main shrine of Islam. From the position of the sultan came out very witty - to the mosque in Mecca, according to his order, a couple of minarets were completed. However, at the age of 27, his life was cut short by typhus, and the elders did not fail to note that such a punishment to the sultan was sent down by Allah for insulting the Al-Haram mosque.
There is another version explaining the presence of six minarets. The fact is that the "six" and "golden" sounds almost the same in Turkish, so Mehmed-aga, having heard from the ruler of the "alta" instead of "altyn," made a mistake.
Whatever events of the past did not lead to the result, today Turkey and Istanbul are associated with many people with the Blue Mosque, which became the pearl of Turkish architectural ensembles.
Sultanahmet Mosque today
The Blue Mosque welcomes visitors with a traditional fountain for ablutions located in the courtyard. The eastern part is given to the Muslim school. In the mosque, the size of the hall which allows to perform prayer to 35 thousand people at a time, you can see 260 windows. The light penetrating the mosque does not leave even a hint of a shadow in any of the corners of the building.
The interior of the Blue Mosque impresses visitors with its luxury: the floors are lined with magnificent carpets of cherry and red tones, the walls are decorated with sayings from the Koran, written by skillful calligraphers. Each centimeter of this majestic structure is worthy of attention and respect for the masters who have made a hand in creating it.
The Blue Mosque is located in the south of Istanbul (Sultanahmet district), opening hours are from 9 am to 9 pm. The entrance for tourists is free, but please note that during the prayer, excursions are not desirable.
Even if you are in Istanbul for shopping , you should definitely take time to visit the Blue Mosque, as well as other monuments of Turkish history, for example, the Grand Topkapi Palace .
| | | |
| | | |
