Blue Mosque in Turkey, Istanbul resort
Rating: 7,9/10 (2409 votes)  Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque, Ahmedie Mosque) – one of the largest and most beautiful mosques in the city of Istanbul. The construction of the Blue Mosque took place from 1609 to 1616 during the reign of Sultan Ahmed I. Located on the coast of the Sea of Marmara, the Ahmediye Mosque includes 6 minarets: on the outer corners, as well as on the sides. Four out of six minarets have three balconies, and two minarets have two balconies each. The total number of balconies is due to the number of Ottoman sultans, whose reign preceded the reign of Sultan Ahmed I. Near the Ahmediye Mosque there is a mausoleum where Ahmed I was buried. The Blue Mosque is considered the symbol of Istanbul and is located in the historical center of the city, opposite another major cultural attraction - Museum of Hagia Sophia. The temple received a variant of the name Blue Mosque for the reason that many blue and white ceramic tiles were used to create its interior, which determined the color scheme of the interior. The mosque has many original details. Patterns depicting flowers are stunning in their variety (only tulips are presented in more than fifty different variations), the prayer niche is also of interest – a mihrab, carved from a marble slab, on which a stone is set brought from Mecca. In the central part of the temple, you can see a large dome, the diameter of which is twenty-three and a half meters, and the height reaches forty-three meters. In the western part of the Blue Mosque, there is a special entrance with a chain over it. The entrance served the sultan, who had to lower his head in order to ride a horse into the courtyard of the mosque. The lowered head of the Sultan was an expression of the ruler's humility before the Almighty. The courtyard of the mosque is of considerable size, and its walls are decorated with arcades. Initially, the Blue Mosque was part of an architectural complex, which included buildings of a hospital, madrassah, kitchen, caravanserai, and charitable institutions. Unfortunately, not all structures have survived to this day. It is curious that from 1953 to 1976 the image of the Blue Mosque was placed on Turkish banknotes.  We also recommend reading Tepsi Minaret in Turkey, Erzurum Resort Topic: Blue Mosque in Turkey, Istanbul resort. |
