Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet) History and Architecture | Istanbul
This Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Mosque) is located in Sultanahmet Square, which is known by its name in Istanbul. Sultanahmet Square was called Hippodrome in Byzantine period and Atmeydani in Ottoman period. Today, a portion of the area where the mosque rises above the ruins of the Byzantine Grand Palace. There was a palace and several wooden mansions built by Sokullu Mehmet Pasha on the same area during the Ottoman period. When Ahmet I (1603-1617) decided to build the mosque, these buildings were demolished and a large area was exposed. Sedefkar Mehmet Aga was brought to the architecture of the building. The foundation of the mosque was laid in 1609 with a ceremony attended by Ahmet I. The building, which was actually a complex, was opened for worship by Ahmet I in 1616, but its completion was completed in 1617 after Ahmet I’s death.
Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet) History and Architecture
Architect Sedefkar Mehmet Aga constituted the plan of the buildings group by taking into consideration the classical architectural style of Mimar Sinan. The mosque was located in the center. Since it is located directly opposite the Hagia Sophia, it was taken care to make it as spectacular as it is. Especially with its interior decorations and tiles, it has a dazzling appearance. The main space is 64 × 72 m, the height is 43 m and the dome is 33.6 m. The main dome sits on four ribbed columns with a diameter of 5 meters and half domes carried by pointed arches on the sides. There are four half domes in the corners. The walls are covered with 260 windows in five rows. All walls are covered with blue-white, turquoise and green Iznik tiles. Because of this unique color richness, foreigners called the mosque Blue Mosque which means “Blue Mosque“.
With its marble mimetic and embroidered marble mihrab, the doner kebab in the left corner is adorned with rich pearlescent ornaments. The inner part of the mihrab is covered with beautiful floral motifs. Mimber should be gilded, embossed and geometric. It is a unique work with its hünkar mahfili and mother-of-pearl inlaid door. The inner courtyard of the mosque is covered with marble. Together with the last congregation, the inner courtyard covers 30 small domes with 26 columns. In the center of the courtyard is a slender fountain, which sits on 6 marble columns. The fountain’s arches are decorated with tulip and carnation motifs.
Madrasah is located in the section facing the Hagia Sophia direction. The central courtyard has rooms surrounded by porticoes. The tomb of Ahmet I next to the madrasah was built after the end of the community. The mother of pearl inlaid gate of the tomb is a work of art. Apart from Ahmet I, his sons II. Osman, IV. Murat, his wife Mahpeyker Kosem Sultan has 36 coffers in total. In front of the mihrab direction, above the old Byzantine Grand Palace, right next to Arasta, is the Mosaic Museum, where unique mosaics of the Byzantine period are exhibited. At the western end of the hippodrome, there are imaret, tannery and hospital. One of the unique structures of the mosque is the sultan’s palace, which has an independent appearance. Until the 17th century it was used as an independent part of the mosque.
One of the most important features of the Blue Mosque is its 6 minarets. The minarets were used as elements connecting the main structure and the inner courtyard. There are two minarets, two sheriffs in the outer corners of the courtyard, four minarets in the four corners of the mosque and three balconies.
In fact, it is one of the largest building complexes in Istanbul with the Mosque complex. This complex consists of a mosque, madrasas, sultan’s palace, arasta, shops, baths, fountains, fountains, shrines, darüşşifa, medical school, imarethane and rented rooms. Some of these structures have not survived.
Architectural: The design of the Blue Mosque is the culmination of a 200-year synthesis of Ottoman mosque architecture and Byzantine church architecture. It includes some Byzantine influences from its neighbor, Hagia Sophia, as well as traditional Islamic architecture, and is regarded as the last major mosque of the classical period. The architect of the mosque has been successful in reflecting the ideas of the great master Architect Sedefkar Mehmet Aga in büyüklük size, majesty and grandeur in size.
Exterior Structure: The view of the Mosque from the upper floor of Hagia Sophia. Except for the addition of the small towers on the corner domes, the façade of the large front courtyard was built in the same style as the façade of the Süleymaniye Mosque. The courtyard is almost as large as the mosque itself and is surrounded by a continuous archway. There are ablutions on both sides. The large hexagonal fountain in the middle remains small considering the size of the courtyard. The narrow monumental passageway leading to the courtyard stands architecturally different from the archway. Its semi-dome is crowned by a smaller dome and has a fine stalactite structure.
Internal structure: The interior of the mosque is decorated with more than 20 thousand tiles produced from 50 different tulip patterns in Iznik. While the tiles on the lower levels are traditional, the patterns of the tiles in the gallery are spectacular and magnificent with flowers, fruits and services. More than 20 thousand tiles were produced in Iznik under the direction of tile master Kasap Haci and Cappadocian Baris Efendi. Although the amount to be paid per tile was regulated by the sultan’s order, the price of tiles increased over time, and as a result the quality of the tiles used declined over time. Their color has faded and their varnishes have faded. The tiles on the rear balcony wall are the tiles that were recycled from the harem of Topkapi Palace, which was damaged in the fire of 1574.
The unknowns of Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet):
*Sultan Ahmet I, built in 1616 by the architect Sedefkar Mehmet Aga, opposite the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque is one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions. The foundations of the mosque were laid on December 31, 401 years ago.
*Built by the Ottoman sultans and their family and the Sultan mosques sel meaning the 6th mosque, the Blue Mosque is called Blue Blue Mosque tarafından by the Europeans because it is adorned with Iznik tiles.
*The Blue Mosque, located on the historical peninsula of Istanbul, is known as the greatest and most important work of classical architecture after Mimar Sinan.
*While the construction of the mosque was completed in 1616, it was seen that the other buildings of the complex, which continued until 1620, were placed in a scattered arrangement.
*Sedefkar Mehmet Aga, a student of Mimar Sinan in the Blue Mosque and complex built as a large-scale prestige project, made a major breakthrough in architecture in parallel with the political course of the state by using the untested details of the classical tradition.
*The buildings were grouped as religious, educational and social facilities according to their functions around the mosque and the doner pavilion, which dominated the whole area and located in the outer courtyard.
*Adorned with İznik tiles, it stands out as the most important aspect of the structure, which is remarkable in terms of architecture and art. The use of traditional plant motifs in blue, green and white colored Iznik tiles in yellow and blue tones in the decoration of the tiles takes the building beyond being a place of worship.
*Blue Mosque, Turkey’s 6 minarets also carries the distinction of being the only imperial mosque.
*The legend of the mosque has 6 minarets: Ahmet Ahmet I, the sultan of the period, wanted to have the minarets made of gold, but when the value of the gold to be used in the coating exceeds the budget of the sultan, the architect of the mosque Sedefkar Mehmet Ağa supposedly misunderstood the word em gold ”. He built the mosque with 6 minarets. ”
*The worship area of the mosque, which is illuminated with a total of 260 windows, measures 64 × 72 meters. The central dome, which is 43 meters high, has a diameter of 23.5 meters.
*There is a heavy iron cord at the west entrance of the courtyard. This cord, the horse entering the courtyard with the head of the sultans had to bend to avoid hitting. This was considered to be a symbolic act to show that even the sultan had to arrange himself when he entered the mosque.
*According to the information received from the General Directorate of Foundations, the mosque registered to the Sultan Ahmet Evvel Foundation is the main structure of a large complex.
In the mosque, which is similar to Şehzade Mosque in terms of plan scheme, the central dome supports four half-domes from four directions. The rectangular plan near the square is covered with rich Iznik tiles.
*Art history expert who gave information to the AA correspondent about the Blue Mosque. Dr. Semavi Eyice, who grew up after Mimar Sinan and maintains his style of the mosque of Albanian origin Sedefkar Mehmet Ağa’nın Sultanahmet Mosque, said that a very rich architecture.
Expressing that some parts of the mosque, which was built in the form of a complex, were destroyed over time. Dr. Eyice, ”The Blue Mosque has 6 minarets. This feature is not available in any other mosque. ”
*Professor Dr. Eyice, Darüşşifası that is the hospital that the complex, Sıbyan one of the schools destroyed, said the other stopped.
*Behind the Blue Mosque, ”Arasta”, which is called ve Arasta ve and was restored after being used for many years because of the fire, the fountains in the entrance and exit of the fountains are covered with tiles, but one of those tiles was broken and taken away. Dr. Eyice said: ”The body of each minaret is decorated separately. The minarets are simple except for Şehzade Mosque. The Blue Mosque has different decorations on the minarets. One of them has cypress figures on it. The mosque has very beautiful bronze doors. It is also called ‘Blue Mosque sebebiyle because of the tiles inside. The Blue Mosque is located too bright. The reason is that the colored windows in a brawl in a revolution. The building has undergone a very bad restoration in the 19th century. The restoration was done by the Greeks. The part that was made for a little rest before the prayer was called Kasr-ı Hümayun. The Blue Mosque also has this section. Sultan Ahmet I, who was a sultan at a young age and died at a young age, was still hiding in Topkapı Palace today.
*The imam Emrullah Hatipoğlu said that Sultanahmet, which has a history of nearly 400 years, is one of the largest mosques in Istanbul and the most famous mosque in the world and is one of the pride paintings that comes to mind when the city’s cultural and natural assets are considered.
* The pulpit of the mosque, pulpit, minarets and a special place that expresses the mahfiler Hatipoğlu, the mihrab said that a separate meaning.
How to go to Istanbul Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet)?
Address: Sultan Ahmet Mahallesi, Atmeydani st. No: 7, 34122 – Fatih / Istanbul
If you are going from Taksim; There are 2 ways for visitors who will go from Taksim to Taksim. walk from tramway street towards Sultanahmet.
Another way is Taksim Taksim Funicular and Kabatas, and then you can take the Kabatas-Zeytinburnu train at Sultanahmet Stop.
You can reach Besiktas by applying the above path.
If you are going to Kadikoy. After arriving to Eminönü by Kadıköy-Eminönü ferry, you can either take the tram and get off at Sultanahmet Stop after Sirkeci-Gülhane stops, or you can reach our magnificent mosque on the historical peninsula in 10 minutes.
If you’re going to Üsküdar. After arriving to Eminönü by ferry from Üsküdar-Eminönü, you can either take the tram and get off at Sultanahmet Stop after Sirkeci-Gülhane stops or you can reach Sultanahmet Mosque in 10 minutes by walking on the historical peninsula.