The cyanosis Celestial Mosque of Turkey

Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Turkey

The emergence of intricate architecture took prominance, when the Mughals, Romans, Egyptians carved most of the fascinating structures in the Western part of the world. The involvement of these people triggered the subject known as architecture, which is been predominantly practiced in every corner of the world at present. Ancient architecture has sown the seeds for most of the amazing structures that are standing strong even today. Some of the world famous structures are the Pyramids, The tower of Pisa, Pantheon, Mosques, Temples etc. Religion has also played a vital role in depicting the various kinds of styles been followed in the field of architecture. One among them is the Islamic architecture owning numerous mosques to its credit in the Gulf countries, Middle East, Western Asia etc. Islamic architecture  describes the art created specifically in the service of the Islamic faith (for example, a mosque and its furnishings) but also characterizes the art and architecture historically produced in the lands ruled by Muslims, produced for Muslim patrons, or created by Muslim artists. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (universally known as Blue Mosque) is one such extremely monumental structure being raised by then ruler Sultan Ahmet I.  The construction of the mosque began in the year 1609 and Sultan appointed his royal architect Sedefhar Mehmet A?a, a pupil and senior assistant of the famous architect Mimar Sinan to be in charge of the Mosque construction.

History

The mosque had to be built on the site of the palace of the Byzantine emperors, facing the Hagia Sophia and the hippodrome, a site of great symbolic significance. Large parts of the southern side of the mosque rest on the foundation and vaults of the Great Palace. Several palaces were already built there, most notably the palace of Sokollu Mehmet Pasha, so these first had to be bought at a considerable cost and pulled down. Large parts of the Sphendone (curved tribune with U-shaped structure of the hippodrome) were also removed to make room for the new mosque. Construction of the mosque started in August 1609 when the Sultan himself came to break the first sod. It was his intention that this would become the first mosque of his empire.

It incorporates some Byzantine elements of the neighboring Hagia Sophia with traditional Islamic architecture and is considered to be the last great mosque of the classical period of Ottoman Empire. The architect has applied the ideas of his master Sinan, aiming for overwhelming size, majesty and splendor. The mosque was completed after just over six and half years of work and to this day remains one of the finest examples of classical Ottoman architecture. The original complex included a soup kitchen, a madrasa (Muslim theological school), a primary school, a hospital, and a market. A türbe, or mausoleum, stands at the corner of the grounds near the Hippodrome and Sultanahmet Park, and houses the remains of Sultan Ahmet I; his wife, Kösem; and three of his sons. It also contains some fine examples of calligraphy on cobalt-blue Iznik tile.

Blue dominates interiors

The design of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque was a culmination of two centuries of both Ottoman mosque and Byzantine church developments. It incorporates some Byzantine elements of the neighboring Hagia Sophia with traditional Islamic architecture and is considered to be the last great mosque of the classical period of Ottoman Empire. The architect has applied the ideas of his master Sinan, aiming for overwhelming size, majesty and splendor.

The interior is of great beauty and grandeur and surprises with its bright atmosphere. Numerous stained glass windows as well as domes and semi-domes surrounding the main dome create a charming play of light and give the walls an amazing transparency. At the lower levels and at every pier, the interior of the mosque is lined with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles, made at Iznik city (Nicaea) in more than fifty different tulip designs. The tiles at lower levels are traditional in design, while at gallery level their design becomes flamboyant with representing flowers, fruit and cypresses. More than 20,000 tiles were made under the supervision of the Iznik master potter Kasap Haci, and Baris Efendi from Avanos,Cappadocia. The price to be paid for each tile was fixed by the sultan's decree, due tile prices in general increased over time. The upper levels of the Mosque interior are dominated by blue paint. More than 200 stained glass windows with intricate designs admit natural light. On the chandeliers, ostrich eggs are found which were meant to avoid cobwebs inside the mosque by repelling spiders. The decorations including verses from the Qur'an, many of them made by Seyyid Kasim Gubari, regarded as the greatest calligrapher of that time.

Vaulted arcade dons exterior

The façade of the spacious forecourt was built in the same manner as the façade of the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, except for the addition of the turrets on the corner domes. The court is about as large as the mosque itself and is surrounded by a continuous vaulted arcade. The central hexagonal fountain is rather small in contrast with the dimensions of the courtyard. The monumental but narrow gateway to the courtyard stands out architecturally from its arcade. Its semi-dome has a fine stalactite structure, crowned by a small ribbed dome on a tall tholobate. A heavy iron chain hangs in the upper part of the court entrance on the western side of the Mosque.

A stone foundation supports the structure of fired bricks, which is completely covered with tiles and decorated brick panels. Alabaster was used for the mausoleum’s dado and three prayer niches, and probably also for the door to the mausoleum, of which a fragment has been preserved, and the windows in the gallery. Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a French traveler, observed that the alabaster slabs created a warm red light inside the building.

Minarets

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is first one of the two mosques in Turkey that has six minarets. Second one is the Sabanc? Mosque in Adana. Four minarets stand at the corners of the Blue Mosque. Each of these fluted, pencil-shaped minarets has three balconies (Called ?erefe) with stalactite corbels, while the two others at the end of the forecourt only have two balconies. When the number of minarets was revealed, the Sultan was criticized for being presumptuous, since this was the same minarets number as at the mosque of the Kaaba in Mecca. He overcame this problem by ordering a seventh minaret to be built at the Mecca mosque.

The Islamic architecture is one of the styles that still prevail in the Gulf and Middle East countries. The design and planning of the mosque depicts the artistic mind of the architect. The mosque is a real example of the style and faith of the Islamic community existing across the globe. And will spread Islamic architecture to various extents in the future.

EOM

Reference

http://islamic-arts.org/2011/sultan-ahmet-cami-or-blue-mosque