Introduction

The Blue Mosque is a sanctuary built since 1616 situated opposite

the Hagia Sophia (Former Byzantine Church of Holy Wisdom &

Imperial Mosque) like an unending battle of supremacy that will last

for quite a long time, a quiet war of the Byzantine and Ottoman

periods of Istanbul that has been the capital of two majestic kingdom.

It is located in Istanbul and stand as a grand mosque for the Muslims

to perform their prayers. Nowadays, the Blue Mosque also become a

popular tourist attraction. The mosque is known as the Blue Mosque

because of blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design.

History

In the glorious days of the Ottoman Empire, it was the premier right

of the sultan to build a mosque with more than two minarets. But

when the Caliph Sultan Ahmed (ruled 1603-1617) requested that

the Blue Mosque to be built with six minarets in the hippodrome, a

site of great symbolic significance in Istanbul, he was told that the

Sacred Mosque, al-Masjid al-Haram, which surrounds the Kaaba in

the city of Mecca must boast more minarets than any other mosque

in the Muslim world, and it had six. Thus, Sultan Ahmed promptly

ordered that a seventh minarets be added to the mosque in Mecca,

so that his fantasy might can be fulfilled. His predecessors had paid

for their mosques with their war booty, however, Sultan Ahmed I

had to withdraw the funds from the treasury, because he had not

attained any remarkable triumphs during his time. This provoked

the anger the Muslim lawful scholars, the Ottoman Ulema. His will

was done. The Blue Mosque was built with six minarets within the

outstanding brief span of seven years (1609-1616) and the

ceremony were held in 1617 prior to the untimely death of its then

27-year old eponymous patron, Sultan Ahmet I.

Architect

Sedefkar Mehmed Aga was Ottoman’s royal architect in 1606. He

went to Istanbul in 1567 and began the study of music but later

switched to architecture. Then he met and became an apprentice of

Mimar Sinan, Turkey’s most famous architect, whom later appointed

Mehmed Aga as his senior assistant. From 1609 until 1616 he

worked on the Blue Mosque. The design was based on the Hagia

Sophia, the masterpiece of Byzantine architecture of his master,

Sinan’s work. The organization of his work was described in

conscientious detail in eight volumes, now found in the library of

the Topkapı Palace in Istanbul. However, the completion of some of

the functional structures of the complex continued until 1620 after

the death of Sultan Ahmet in 1617.

Function

The functional structures of the complex during the period it was

first established consist of :-

the mosque,

Sultan’s pavilion,

madrasa,

dar-ül kurra (religious school for the study of the Quran),

health center,

hospices,

mausoleum,

public fountains,

arasta (Bazaar),

hammam (Turkish bath),

lodging,

cellars and houses.

Historical Building : Sultan Ahmed Mosque ( The Blue Mosque ) Muhammad Hasif bin Alias 0316413 & Shan Sim Ee Han 0321288

Taylor’s University

Interior Design

The interior of the mosque is lined with more than 20,000

handmade ceramic tiles which have two different design based on

their position. Traditional design at the lower level while at gallery

level their design become flamboyant representing flowers, fruit

and cypresses. They were all made at Iznik city (Nicaea) in more

than fifty different tulip designs. However, their quality had

reduced gradually which lead to fade and dull colours as a result of

cost fixation by the sultan back in 1609. On the upper levels is is

dominated by blue paint. More than 200 stained glass windows

with intricate designs admit natural light. The great tablets on the

walls are inscribed with the names of the caliphs and verses from

the Quran, originally by the great 17th century calligrapher Ametli

Kasım Gubarım, but time by time they have frequently been

restored.

Exterior Design

A facade of the spacious forecourt with the addition of the turrets

on the corner domes The court is about as large as the mosque itself

and is surrounded by a continuous vaulted arcade. The central

hexagonal fountain is rather small when compared with the

spacious court. At the entrance, a heavy iron chain is hanged, so

that when the sultan enter the court on horseback, he will lower his

head a symbolic gesture to ensure the humility if the ruler in the

face of the divine. Four minarets stand at the corners of the Blue

Mosque. Each of these fluted, pencil-shaped minarets has three

balconies (Serefe) with stalactite corbels, while the two others at

the end of the forecourt only have two balconies. Everyday, the

muezzin or prayer caller had to climb a narrow spiral staircase five

times a day to announce the call to prayer.