Meydani 21, Sultanahmet
Tel. (0212) 458 0776
Trolley:
Sultanahmet
Open: 8:30am- 12pm, 1:45- 4:30pm daily
Closed:
prayer times
Son et Lumier May- Sept: after dusk daily
Sultan Ahmet Mosque or Sultânahmed Mosque was built by the
Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I between 1609 and 1617, on the historical
peninsula in Istanbul, by the architect Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa.[1]
Mosque; It is called the "Blue Mosque" by Europeans because it is
decorated with blue, green and white Iznik tiles, and the interior
of its semi-domes and large dome are decorated with mostly blue
hand-drawn works. When Hagia Sophia was converted from a mosque to a
museum in 1935, it became the main mosque of Istanbul.
In
fact, together with the Sultanahmet Mosque complex, it is one of the
largest works in Istanbul. This social complex consists of a mosque,
madrasahs, sultan's mansion, arasta, shops, bath, fountain, public
fountains, tomb, hospital, primary school, almshouse and rental
rooms. Some of these structures have not survived to the present
day.
The most important aspect of the building, both
architecturally and artistically, is that it is decorated with more
than 20,000 Iznik tiles. Traditional plant motifs in yellow and blue
tones were used in the decorations of these tiles, making the
building more than just a place of worship. The prayer hall of the
mosque measures 64 x 72 meters. The diameter of the central dome,
which is 43 meters high, is 23.5 meters. The interior of the mosque
is illuminated with more than 200 colored glasses. His writings were
written by Seyyid Kasım Gubarî from Diyarbakır. It forms a complex
with the surrounding buildings and Sultanahmet is Turkey's first
mosque with six minarets.
After the conclusion of the peace in Zhitvatorok and
the unfavorable war results with Persia, Sultan Ahmed I decided to build
a large mosque in Constantinople, all in order to be able to better
listen to the commands of Allah. This mosque was the first so-called an
imperial mosque that was built in the Ottoman Empire. As his
predecessors built the mosques with the help of war spoils, Sultan Ahmed
had to withdraw the funds from the state treasury, because he did not
win many important wars and battles.
The mosque was built on the
site of the imperial palace in Constantinople, near Saint Sophia (the
main mosque in Constantinople at the time). Large parts of the southern
side of the mosque are based on the foundations and vaults of the
imperial palace in Constantinople. A large part of the sphenda (stand
arranged like a semi-circular amphitheater) of the hippodrome was
removed to make room for the new mosque.
The construction of the
mosque began in August 1609. Sedefkar Mehmed-aga, a student and
assistant of the famous architect Mimar Sinan, was appointed as the
chief architect. The organization of the work was described in detail in
eight volumes, which are today in the library of Topkapi-saray. The
facility was officially opened in 1617 (although the inscription on the
mosque's gate says it was in 1616). Known as the Blue Mosque, the Sultan
Ahmed Mosque is one of the most impressive monuments in the world.
The mosque was featured on the 500 Turkish lira banknote, which was
in circulation from 1953 to 1976.
The design of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque represents the culmination of the two centuries of existence of the Ottoman Empire. It incorporates some Byzantine elements from the neighboring Hagia Sophia with traditional Islamic architecture and is considered to be the last great mosque of the classical period. The architect had more implemented the ideas of Mimar Sinan, but still apart from the size of the mosque, grandeur and splendor, the interior of the building lacks creative thought.
The facade of the space in front of the courtyard was
built in the same way and style as the facade of Suleiman's Mosque,
except for the added minarets and domes. The courtyard is located around
the mosque itself, and is surrounded by an arcade (revak). In the center
of the courtyard is a six-sided fountain, which seems small in relation
to the dimensions of the courtyard. Its semi-dome has a stalactite
structure.
At the western entrance in the upper part of the gate
is a heavy metal chain, and only the sultan on horseback could pass
through this entrance. The chain was placed in that position where the
sultan had to bow his head before entering the mosque. The purpose of
this chain was symbolic, that is, through it, God's proximity to the
Sultan was ensured.
The lower parts of the interior walls and pillars in
the mosque are decorated with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles
made in Iznik (ancient Nicaea). While the lower tiers of tiles are in
traditional design, one of the upper galleries features various types of
flowers, fruit and cypress trees. More than 20,000 tiles were made under
the supervision of the potter Kasika Hassan, Mustafa and Mersin Efendi
from Avanos (Cappadocia).
The upper levels in the interior are
predominantly blue, but of poor quality. The most important element
inside the mosque is the mihrab which is made of carved marble and
stalactite. The adjacent walls are covered in ceramic tiles. Right next
to it is the minbar, that is, the place in the mosque from where the
imam preaches prayers. The interior of the mosque is made in a way that
allows all believers to see the imam during the sermon.
A royal
kiosk is located in the southeast corner. It consists of a platform, a
lodge and two small rest rooms which are connected to the imperial
lodge. The many lamps inside the mosque were once covered with gold and
precious stones. There used to be a large number of glass crystal
glasses here, and some of them can be found in museums in Istanbul
today.
Sultan Ahmed Mosque is one of two mosques in Turkey that has six minarets. The other is the Shabanci Merkez Mosque in Adana. When the number of minarets was revealed, the Sultan was criticized for being too self-confident and arrogant, because at the time, only the Masjid al-Haram mosque in Mecca had the same number of minarets at that time. This problem was overcome when another, seventh minaret was built in the mosque in Mecca. Four minarets are located in the corners of the mosque. Each minaret has a sherefe.
During his visit to Turkey, Pope Benedict XVI visited the Sultan Ahmed Mosque on November 30, 2006. It marks only the second visit by a pope to a Muslim shrine. He, with his eyes closed, together with Mustafa Kagrici and Emrullah Hatipoglu, turned towards Mecca, saying a prayer.