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Published: April 21st 2024
We have reached the halfway point of our city break in Istanbul . And what a three days it has proved to be. We had joined the queues leaving the mausoleum to head out into the street and to try to find the steps into the public entrance to the courtyard of the Blue Mosque . Time was perhaps not on our side as it was closing in on prayer time and the mosque would be closed to non Muslims . Everyone seemed to have the same idea .
The classical facade of the enclosure walls hid the beauty of the semi domes that surrounded the prayer hall , the large courtyard and the six minarets.
Apparently after the Peace of Zsitvatorok the Sultan Ahmed I decided that he needed to build a very large mosque in the hope of pleasing God and gaining his favour . He was the first sultan to build any mosque for some years as previous sultans had neglected that duty. His mosque has pride of place on raised ground near to the old Hippodrome and Haghia Sophia . A statement if ever there was one . It certainly dominates the skyline . We
found that if we stood in the square and faced both buildings it was the Blue Mosque that stood out even though it was younger of the two buildings . It is clear that the sultan wanted to impress and build something grander than its neighbour Haghia Sophia . So how were the two to compare and contrast ? And of course there are other mosques we have visited that were built to impress too .
The courtyard was a lovely space rather spoilt by the visitors taking selfies in front of the domes . But then we were getting used to that by now and resisted the temptation to do likewise. We had entered the courtyard through the central most monumental arches . A tall opening topped with a dome . There is always so much expectation when you enter through the gates and wonder what you will see .
Through it we could see the Blue Mosque which is indeed blue in parts . Inside the courtyard are arcades and domed porticoes . 26 columns and 30 domes . We were being blown away but the beauty . Adjectives kept coming to mind as we
walked past the shardivan which is the domed kiosk that covers the fountains for ablutions . The building of the Mosque looked perfect in its space as it seems Sinan designed the building to sit on a space the same size as its courtyard . So geometrically it was perfect . First adjective perfect. A stroke of genius . A master builder , architect and designer. A man who understood his art and carried it out with panache. Ablutions are no longer performed in the fountains as taps have been installed under the arches or the galleries . We did not spot the heavy iron chain that closed off the NW entrance . This was to allow only the sultan to use it and he had to lower his head to get under. He rode in and by lowering his head showed humility in the face of God . Beautiful , thought provoking , different again but similar to other mosques , An inspiring place to stand and admire the architecture .
We felt that we were struggling to find adjectives to describe the space outside and our feelings . Humbled by the size . Superlatives were going to
be needed once we got inside . The Blue mosque is only one of five mosques in Turkey with so many minarets . According to folklore the architect misheard the request from the sultan for altin minareler - gold minarets and thought he hear alti minare - six . We were to find out that only Mecca should have six minarets . So when the Sultan was accused and criticised not for spending too much money on the mosque but for presumption he paid for a seventh to be built at Mecca . We still did not know why though some had one minaret and others more . We were soon to find out but not today . That was for the guide to tell us on our trip on the Bosphorous . The minarets were topped on the corners with balconies and each balcony was supported by corbeling . Overwhelming was a word we were going to be overusing on this trip. What a hard job it would be for the muezzin to climb those narrow spiral staircases inside the minarets five times a day to call prayer . We learned that now there are loudspeakers on the corners
of every mosque negating the need to climb those steps. However a recording cannot be used and the muezzin still has to call prayer five times a day.
As we left the sunshine of the courtyard we began the now normal ritual of untying laces and placing our shoes in the cubby holes that lined the entrance to the domed hall. At first I began to wonder if we would find our shoes amongst so many others . But it became normal and we never lost our shoes. Headscarf placed on head we entered the space which was enormous . Another one of those adjectives . How many would we need to describe the space? Light , airy and with a sense of balance. Everywhere we looked was decorated . From the pillars to the walls . Blue tiles as you would expect in the Blue Mosque but also a sense of calm from the cream tiles . Lightness and a feeling of great space . It could have felt overbusy but it felt right . It was a wow space and there was no doubt about that . It was a space you looked up and thought lofty
. A cavenous interior. Stunning - definately. The words just kept coming . Our churches now will feel bland without so much decoration . Perhaps pre Reformation they would be full of colour but our Puritanism has stripped any colour from them . The mosques succeed in blending a mass of colour in a restful calming way . It should feel mad inside but it is just a joy for the senses . I never thought I would feel like that about a building .
The domes both from the outside and inside formed a more softer interior than we had seen before . The main dome reached a height of 141 foot and the weight was supported by four massive cylindrical pillars . The roof was complex and we had no idea how it was achieved nor in a way did we want to know . Sometimes it is better to look and marvel than try to unpick the architecture . The usual features of the prayer hall were all there . The mihrab of carved marble , the niche , the insciption panels on the walls. Many windows let in the light . There were some heavy
elements but they did not detract too much from the overall feel of the building . It has stood the test of time despite being ravaged by fire and renovated times many.
The walls of the mosque were covered in Iznik tiles . It seems that Ahmed I loved these tiles and the production of tiles for his mosque occupied the whole industry until the mosque was completed . From 1607 tiles were produced and sent out to Istanbul on a daily basis . The factories were forbidden to produce or sell the tiles for any other purpose. It was impossible to imagine that 21,043 tiles were produced and over fifty designs were used in the mosque . The tiles depicted trees, flowers and fruit in a range of colours including blues , greens , reds , black and turquoise. Paintwork inside was blue giving the Blue Mosque another reason to be truly a blue mosque .
As we looked up we could see 260 windows all letting the light into the space . The story goes that some of the glass in these windows were gifted to the sultan by the Signoria of Venice following a request in 1610. Sadly most had been lost over time and replaced with more modern windows . Chandeliers hung from the ceiling . They were once covered with gold and gems . They hang extremely low and were once combined with ostrich eggs and crystal balls . These were said to ward off spiders and mice and warn of earthquakes . Much had been lost but the overall feeling was one that left you wanting to see more .
Sadly though we were approaching prayer time so had to make our way back to our shoes . We sat in the porch on the stone steps slowly replacing our footwear . Another mosque ticked off and we were still finding them amazing structures . Would we get to see anymore this trip? Hard to say as the week was moving on . We had planned to next visit Roman Istanbul next as the Hippodrome was a short walk away . We had to ride the trams which were a credit to the city and head off down for a trip on the Bosphorous .
It was becoming quite clear that 4 days had not been enough and we would end up leaving the city with things unseen .
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Andrea
I was just there so I really enjoyed seeing your pictures and reading your blog. The mosques were very awe striking. I didn’t find a week long enough in Istanbul so I agree with you 4 days is definitely not enough! But that only means going back some day, right?