BLUE MOSQUE (SULTAN AHMET MOSQUE) UP
Sultan ahmet Mosque,which was constructed by the 14th Ottoman Sultan Ahmet I,who
ruled between the years of 1603-1617,is the greatest and most splendid mosque
of Istanbul.The constuction of mosque was started in 1609 by architect Mehmet
Agha,who was a student odf Architect Sinan and who undertook the architectural
works of the structure and the constrution was completed in 1616.The premises
consisted of a madrasah,a hospital,an Arasta Bazaar,a school,a mausoleum,a caravansary
and a public fountain together with the mosque.The hospital and the caravansary
were damaged in 19th century.
Sultan Ahmet Mosque is the last impressive structure of Ottoman religious architecture.Although
many other mosques were built after this one,none of them reached to the dimension
and to the elegance of the decorations of Sultan Ahmet Mosque.Located in Sultanahmet
Area.
HIPPODROME (The Sultan Ahmet Square) UP
Hippodrome was built by the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus in 203 A.D. The hippodrome
was a stadium which served as a meeting place for the politicians, for chariot
races, wrestling, boxing, and other athletic activities that took place. The
arena was over 400 meters long and 120 meters wide, In the fourth century the
spectator capacity was increased to 100,000,
They organized the games in the hippodrome. Green took their seat to the left,
the Blues to the right of the emperor's box. Women were not admitted. After the
emperor had appeared in his box and greeted his people, the four gates beneath
his box opened and from each raced a chariot drawn by four horses into the arena.
The game lasted the whole day. The chariot track was covered with white sand
which was brought from Egypt. The winner was awarded a prize which consisted
of a crown made of flowers, some presents, bonuses and money,
FATIH MOSQUE UP
This was the first Turkish mosque built after the conquest. The main building
was completed in seven years (1463-1470).
The architect Atic Sinan built the largest kulliye in Ottoman Art History. The
kulliye consisted of medreses, Kervansaray, hamam, a hospital, baths, a kitchen
for the poor, a library, and a Koranic school. The Kulliye has been preserved
in its original form. The original mosque was destroyed in the great earthquake
of 22 May 1766. Mustafa II undertook its reconstruction and the present building
was completed in 1771.
The mosque has a very large central dome 26 meters in diameter. The painted decoration
is fussy in detail and dull in color. The mihrab is from the original building.
In the graveyard, behind the mosque, are the tombs of Sultan Mehmet and his wife
Gulbahar.
SULEYMANIYE MOSQUE UP
The Suleymaniye is one of the finest and most magnificent imperial mosque complexes
in the city. Suleymaniye Mosque crowns the third hill of the old city and adds
a great deal to the unrivalled beauty of the city's skyline. Suleyman was the
tenth sultan of the Ottoman dynasty after thirty years of rule, Suleyman The
Magnificent decided to have a mosque built and Sinan, the greatest of Ottoman
architects, was commissioned.
Sınan was born ın Kayserı ın 1489. After his schooling in Istanbul he served
in the army, He was promoted to the position of the head architect by Suleymaniye
in 1539. Until his death in 1588 he built 334 edifices. among them were 132 mosques,
26 libraries, 17 hospitals, 33 palaces, 7 aqueducts and many tombs and fountains.
The construction of the Suleymaniye began in 1550 and the mosque was completed
in 1557.The generous sultan gave the honor of opening the Suleymaniye to his
architect Sinan, the creator of the finest mosque in Istanbul.
The mosque stands in the center of the courtyard surrounded on three sides by
a wall with grilled windows. There are 24 marble and granite columns which carry
the weight of 28 domes. In the four corners of this courtyard there are four
minarets rising with ten balconies. The interior is approximately 58.5 by 57.5
meters.The dome with height of 47 meters and diameter of 26.5 meters, joined
to the central dome in the east and the west where two semi domes are supported
by smaller domes. It can be said that Sinan rarely succeeded with the interior
of his west walls. In almost every case there is a tendency to squeeze the portal.
Suleymaniye suprises visitors with its solid architecture and modest decorations
with the exception of magnificent stainglass windows, made by master Ibrahim.
Fine 16th century Iznik tiles decorate the mihrap area of the mosque.
The tombs of Suleyman the Magnificent and his wife Roxalena are in the cemetery
of the mosque. All these parts of the Suleymaniye mosque are surrounded by a
wall with a number of grated windows, |
