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The incredibly intricate adornment of the Sultan Ahmet Mosque, more often called the Blue Mosque due the predominance of blue in the interior decorations. Photos cannot do justice to the unbelievable detail and skill in the artwork.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii) is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923). The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior.
It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. While still used as a mosque, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque has also become a popular tourist attraction of Istanbul.
Mrs. Laker and I in the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, known popularly as the Blue Mosque, Oct. 17, 2013. It was constructed from 1609-1616. The prayer area is in the background.
We have removed our shoes (plastic bags provided), and Janet's head is covered. The ban on shorts was not an issue, as the temperature had fallen into the 50s.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultan Ahmet Camii) is a historic mosque in Istanbul. The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior..
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It was built from 1609 to 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Its Külliye contains a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is still popularly used as a mosque..
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After the Peace of Zsitvatorok and the unfavorable result of the war with Persia, Sultan Ahmet the First decided to build a big mosque in Istanbul to calm God.[citation needed] It would be the first imperial mosque for more than forty years. While his predecessors had paid for their mosques with their spoil of war, Ahmet the First had to remove the funds of the Treasury, because he had not gained remarkable victories. It caused the anger of oulémas, the Muslim jurists. The mosque must be built on the site of the palace of the Byzantine emperors, in front of the basilica Ayasofya (at that time, the mosque the most worshipped in Istanbul) and the racecourse, a site of a big symbolic meaning. Big parts of the south shore of the mosque rest on the foundations, the vaults of the old Grand Palace.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii) is the national mosque of Turkey, and is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923). The mosque is one of the mosques known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I.
Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah (religious school) and a hospice.
Turkish Muslims perform the prayer ritual (namaz) five times daily, according to the tenets of Islam.
The ezan (call to prayer) summons the faithful to the mosque for prayers. Although it's not required that prayer take place in a mosque, it's felt to be more appropriate and congenial in the sacred space with other Muslims.
The ezan is chanted six times daily. The exact time of the ezan changes from day to day and from place to place, according to longitude and latitude, surnise and sunset.
Here are the names (in Turkish and Arabic) of the calls/prayers and sample times for the ezan in mid-May in Istanbul:
Imsak (Fajr; 03:38 am): two hours before dawn, to awaken the faithful for prayer (pretty much the middle of the night!)
Günes (Tulu; 05:42 am): Dawn, before the sun appears
Ögle (Zuhr; 13:12, 1:12 pm): Midday, when the sun passes the zenith
Ikindi (Asr; 17:07, 5:07 pm): Afternoon, when the shadows cast by objects are equal to their height
Aksam (Maghrib; 20:21, 8:21 pm): Sunset, when the sun has disappeared below the horizon; beginning of a new day in the Islamic calendar
Yatsi (Isha; 22:08, 10:08 pm): When the last light of day has disappeared
Then 5-1/2 hours' sleep before the next call...
You can check the exact times for
Turns out the interior of the Blue Mosque isn't as blue as the nickname would suggest, so using the blue filter on my camera, it actually better resembles expectations.
This was the final Sunday in Ramadan and families gathered in front of the Blue Mosque awaiting the beginning of a very important service. Many of the women served iftar (fast-ending dinner) on the lawn after sundown.
Hotel Byzantium, Istanbul, Turkey... My wife was still asleep. In Turkey, your hotel key needs to be "plugged into" a slot for the electricity to work (e.g., air conditioning). Up early, I left without a key and figured that I'd work out the situation later.
Istanbul, Turkey