Eyup Sultan Mosque and Mausoleum - Istanbul

The Mosque and Mausoleum of Eyup Sultan, located outside the corner where the land walls meet the walls along the Golden Horn, is considered a sacred site for Moslems. Eyup-el-Ensari was a standard-bearer of Mohammed and he died-here during an Arabic siege of the city in the 7th century. His grave was discovered at the conquest and later the mausoleum and the first mosque in Istanbul were built on this site. The original mosque was destroyed in an earthquake and the present one was constructed in its place in 1800. On Fridays, holy days for Islam, throngs of the faithful visit the mausoleum. The old trees, flocks of pigeons, the praying believers and the visiting crowds create a mystical and colorful atmosphere around the mosque and the mausoleum. The walls of the mausoleum in the courtyard are covered with tiles from different periods.

Eyup Sultan MausoleumHistorical sources indicate that in Byzantine times this district was also a holy site where people came to visit the grave of a saint and to pray for rain during times of drought.

The sultans succeeding Mehmet the Conqueror completed their coronation and sword-bearing ceremonies with a visit to the Eyup Sultan Mausoleum.

The vicinity of the Eyup Sultan Mosque and the neighboring hills are occupied by cemeteries. The famous Pierre Loti Cafe is also in this district. The well-known poet and author Loti was enraptured by Istanbul and he came here often to watch the beauties of the Golden Horn of those days. The view from this small cafe and the terrace, particularly during full moon, leaves long-lasting impressions on the visitors.
source: http://mosques.inistanbul.com

Istanbul Suleiman Mosque

The Suleiman Mosque (Turkish: Suleymaniye Camii) is a grand 16th-century mosque in Istanbul, Turkey built by Suleiman the Magnificent.

The Suleiman Mosque was built on the order of sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and constructed by the great Ottoman architect Sinan. The construction work began in 1550 and the mosque was finished in 1557.

The main entrance of the mosque is in Beyazit next to the garden of Istanbul University.
Suleiman Mosque
The mosque is modeled in part on the style of a Byzantine basilica, particularly the Hagia Sophiawhich is situated in Sultanahmet Square, which was perhaps a conscious move on the part of the sultan to create a continuity and a symbolic connection with Istanbul's past.

The Suleiman Mosque was ravaged by a fire in 1660 and was restored on the command of sultan Mehmed IV by architect Fossati. The restoration, however, changed the mosque into a more baroque style, damaging the great work severely.

Once Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum was situated in the complex of Suleymaniye Mosque,but in 1983 Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum was moved into Ibrahim Pasa Palace,in Sultanahmet.
Suleiman Mosque

The mosque was restored to its original glory during the 19th century but during World War I the courtyard was used as a weapons depot and when some of the ammunition ignited, the mosque suffered another fire. Not until 1956 was it restored again. Today, the Suleiman Mosque is one of the most popular sights in Istanbul.

Source: http://www.pointsfromturkey.com

Blue Mosque Sultanahmet Istanbul Turkey

The Blue Mosque,which is one of the Istanbul's premier sights, has been constructed between the years 1609-1616 by Mehmet Aga who was one of the famous architects of the period.The location of the mosque is just opposite of the splendid Hagia Sophia as it is trying to compete with it. That is actually true because Architect Mehmed wanted to construct a bigger dome then Hagia Sophia's but he could not succeed. Instead, he made the mosque splendid by the perfect proportion of domes and semidomes as well as the splendid minarets. There is an interesting story of the mosque; according to it, Sultan Ahmet I wanted to have a minaret made of gold which is "altin" in Turkish. The architect misunderstood him as "alti" which means "six" in English. However, when the architect was shivering as "am I going to be beheaded?", the Sultan Ahmed I liked the minarets so much. Prior to that time, no sultan had a mosque with 6 minarets.The Sultanahmet Mosque is the only mosque in Turkey that has six minarets. When the number of minarets was revealed, the Sultan was criticized for presumption, since this was, at the time, the same number as at the mosque of the Ka'aba in Mecca. He overcame this problem by paying for a seventh minaret at the Mecca mosque.
Blue Mosque

The mosque , originally called “I. Sultan Ahmet Mosque” is situated in Hippodrome at the Sultanahmet Square where important Byzantine buildings stand too. The mosque complex includes a bazaar, bath and caravanserai. The Main Entrance of the Sultanahmet Mosque is on the side where the Hippodrome from the Roman Empire time stands. There are beautiful marble steps right in the middle of the courtyard, leading to the main courtyard. The marble courtyard is lovely, its marble comes from the Island of Marmara (the Turkish word for marble ,"Mermer" comes from Marmara). The mosque comprises four semidomes and a dome with a height of 43 meters supported by four pillars. The inner part is reached through three portals from the courtyard in the north of the mosque. The interior of the building is decorated with 20.143 tulips, hyacinths, carnations and ivy's. The mosque is also called “Blue Mosque” due to the blue tiles used in the interior decoration of the mosque. During the restoration works of the tiles dark blue colour was used instead of the original light blue colour. On the west side of the mihrab in front of the main entrance there stands the marble pulpit. The mausoleum of Sultan Ahmet is situated to the north and the bazaar of the complex to the east of the building. The mosque is the only mosque having six minarets. Today in the park in front of the Sultanahmet Mosque several light and sound shows are displayed during summer and Ramadan.

The cube is topped by an ascending system of domes and semi-domes, culminating in the central dome, which is 33 meters in diameter and 43 meters high at its central point. The overall effect is one of perfect visual harmony, leading the eye up to the peak of the dome.

At its lower levels the interior of the mosque is lined with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles, made at Iznik (the ancient Nicaea). Its upper levels are painted. More than 200 stained glass windows with intricate designs admit natural light, today assisted by chandeliers. On the chandeliers, ostrich eggs are found that were meant to avoid cobwebs inside the mosque by repelling spiders. The decorations include verses from the Qur'an, many of them made by Seyyid Kasim Gubari, regarded as the greatest calligrapher of his time. The floors are covered with carpets, which are donated by faithful people and are regularly replaced as they become worn out.
Blue Mosque
The most important element in the interior of the mosque is the mihrab, which is made of finely carved and sculptured marble, the adjacent walls sheathed in ceramic tiles. To the right of the mihrab is the minber, or pulpit, where the Imam stands when he is delivering his sermon at the time of noon prayer on Fridays or on holy days. The mosque has been designed so that even when it is at its most crowded, everyone in the mosque can see and hear the Imam.

Each of the minarets has three balconies, and until recently the muezzin or prayer-caller had to climb a narrow spiral staircase five times a day to announce the call to prayer. Today a public address system is used, and the call can be heard across the old part of the city, echoed by other mosques in the vicinity. Large crowds of both Turks and tourists in Sultanahmet gather at sunset in the park facing the mosque to hear the call to evening prayers, as the sun sets and the mosque is brilliantly illuminated by colored floodlights.

Source: http://www.pointsfromturkey.com http://www.guideistanbul.net

Nuruosmaniye Mosque Istanbul

The construction of the Nuruosmaniye Mosque was started by Sultan Mahmud I in 1748 and completed by Sultan Osman III in 1755.It is situated on the European side of Istanbul,in Eminonu district,between Sultanahmet and Cemberlitas. It's a typical Baroque and Rococo style mosque which was a very popular architecture of 1700's within the Ottoman Empire. The mosque was built on one of the seven hills of Istanbul by a Greek minority architect named Simeon and Mustafa Aga.

The mosque has a semi-circular courtyard with no fountain for the ablutions but only taps today. There are two minarets each having two balconies. It has a single dome and no column within the prayer hall but raised on four large arches, having a diameter of 25 meters (82 feet) and the height of 43 meters (141 feet). There are many ornaments on its main walls, stone crescent on the minaret tops, stone work of the niche (Mihrab) and the pulpit (Minbar). On the east corner of the prayer hall there is the sultan's lodge with latticework between its columns, accessed by a ramp outside the mosque. The existence of many windows provide lots of light but also justifying the name of the mosque: Nuruosmaniye means "The Light of Osman". It also gave its name to the neighborhood.
Nuruosmaniye Mosque
The Nuruosmaniye Complex has a manuscript library as well with thousands of volumes containing also collections belonging to the sultans. This section is closed to the public except researchers with special permission. In the complex, there is also a medresse and a soup kitchen to the north, a mausoleum where Sultan Osman III's mother (Sehsuvar Valide Sultan) is buried, and a public fountain.

Blue Mosque, Istanbul Turki

Istanbul is a wonderful city and the only one that is divided over 2 continents, as the Bosphorus separates Asia from Europe. Most of the old city is in the European part and definatly worth a visit. The Topkapi museum, the Aya Sofia and the many huge Mosques are impressive, but also the spice Bazar and grand Bazar are the perfect places to realize that here 2 world cultures merge. Do not forget to eat a cheap fresh caught and grilled fish in the harbour

The Blue Mosque was nicknamed so due to the many beautiful blue mosaic tiles, though not much can be seen on this view. Entrance is free and though the Mosque is in use as a prayer room, also non-muslims are welcome and photos can be taken.
The city is a mix of modern western shops and clothing with traditional eastern culture. The sound of the calls for prayers in the morning makes you realize that Islam is the main religion here, though for me the sounds are just as curious as the Christian bells that wake me up elswhere in the world :-)

Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey