View allAll Photos Tagged Mosque
Sehzade Mosque was, for me, the nicest mosque in Istanbul, especially from a photographic point of view. Hagia Sophia and Sultan Ahmet Mosque are the two most-famous mosques in town and, as such, almost always packed with visitors. Plenty of others (Suleymaniye Mosque, for example) are quite beautiful and worth a visit, but also can be crowded. Beyazit Mosque was very nice, and not crowded at all. Lastly (for this trip), Sehzade Mosque was also practically empty -- fewer than 10 people besides me -- and with its symmetry, it's photographically delightful.
The history of this mosque, though, is somewhat sad. Like many other mosques in Istanbul, it's from the 16th century. In particular, this one was built from 1543-48. What happened in 1543 to create this mosque?
The sultan at the time, Suleyman the Magnificent, had a favorite son named Sehzade Mehmed. This wasn't his oldest son, but Sehzade was his oldest son by his legal wife, which put him in line to be the next sultan.
Sehzade was born in 1521. He was a warrior, and fought as far away as Hungary. In late 1543, while returning from a successful military campaign in Hungary, Sehzade died unexpectedly (consensus opinion is that he died of smallpox).
A distraught Suleyman had this mosque built to honor his son, and employed imperial architect Mimar Sinan to design and build it.
The general plan is similar to nearby Beyazit Mosque in that there's a courtyard/forecourt that is enclosed and roughly the same size as the mosque itself. This mosque, too, has a large central dome, but it's flanked by four half domes. The half domes are what enhance the symmetry and photographic lines on the interior.
There are five tombs behind this mosque (that I did not have a chance to see), one of which contains the grave of Sehzade Mehmed.
This mosque is about halfway between Fatih Mosque and Beyazit Mosque, and Suleymane Mosque is also a short walk away, but not on the same line.
Though I've obviously seen this mosque, I would probably make a point to see it again on a return visit to Istanbul. It's beautiful.
Another trip out got me a real mixed bag.
Another of Ras Hilf's Mosques, this one at the end of the corniche.
The biggest mosque in Europe (Kazan, Russia). The city's population is mainly composed of Tatars (ca. 50%); the major religion is Sunni Islam. The Best Place to Host Your Website!
The blue roof of the brand new Mohammad Al-Amin grand mosque in central Beirut,Lebanon, matched the color of the sky perfectly after sunset.. July 2009
The Adelaide Mosque was built in 1888, and is the oldest mosque in Australia. Its original four minarets were added in 1903.
the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, so named because of the blue tiles, is actually the Sultan Ahmet I mosque. it was built in 1609-1616. The cuppola is 43m high and is supproted by four huge pillars. Over 21'000 blue and white Iznik Fayence tiles cover the walls.
Details of the ceiling of the Hassan II mosque in Casablanca.
My page contains more pictures of Morocco as well.
This is the Holy Mosque which we Muslims believe that the House of God on earth. the Black building in the meddile (the Ka'bah) is an old building that was built by prophet Adam, peace be upon him. the (ka'bah) was rebuilt again by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail, peace be upon them. we belive that the black stone was brought from heaven to earth by angels, and was placed there at that time.
the holy mosque is located in the holy city of Makkah, of which the name was given to it. we also call it the forbidden city, as one is not allowed to cause any harm in it, no hunt of animals, no murder of people, and no cut of plants. Muslims all over the world turn towards the holy mosque while offering daily prayers. The outdoor and indoor praying spaces of the mosque can accommodate up to 4 million worshippers during the Hajj period, one of the largest annual gatherings of people in the world.