Blue Mosque- A Display Of Islamic Historical Architecture

Sultan Ahmed Mosque also commonly called blur mosque is situated at Istanbul, Turkey. It was constructed during the rule of King Ahmed during 1609 to 1616. At night, the mosque shimmers in blue light because of the tiles n its exterior.The mosque consists of five main domes, eight sub dome and six minarets.

Design Features

The structure is designed by merging Islamic and Christian style of architecture, though Islamic features are more prominent. The architect Sedefkar Mehmed Aga’s objective was to go for huge, majestical sizes. The hole interior is covered with beautiful iznik ceramic tiles in different ornamental designs and patterns. The decoration is very detailed and traditional. The ceiling mainly has blue color with many glass windows that allows natural light inside the mosque.

Interior Decoration

The decoration pattern primarily included floral, geometrical patterns and calligraphy, whish is a prominent feature of Islamic architecture. The most important interior feature is Mihrab, finely sculpted and carved marble niche. It is surrounded by ceramic tiles and many windows around it. It is the most important element of any mosque where all prayers are done.Many lamps covered in gold and gem decoration no longer exists. They might have been removed or stolen.

In exterior, the mosque is surrounded by many vaulted arches. The ceiling is domed and the details on it are breathtaking. There is a hexagonal fountain at the centre of the courtyard. The structure has a unique feature of six Minarets. Like all other mosques, Blue Mosque was also built like a huge complex which includes shops, a school and a small library.

Hagia Sophia- a neighbouring museum

A neighbouring building of Blue Mosque, popular as a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. It was built around AD 540 and was the largest building of its time. The most popular architectural feature is its huge dome. The building is mainly constructed in masonry. It was conducted as the eastern orthodox cathedral but later around 11th century it was converted into Roman catholic cathedral. In 13th century it was converted into a mosque, currently the building serves as a museum. It's has both Christian and Islamic style of architecture, but Christian style is more prominent. Beautiful details and decorative elements are constructed inside the building.

Both Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia are great tourist attractions at Turkey. They representes the fusion of Christian and Muslim architecture of that time. These historical places gather a loads of tourists each year.