Sulaimaniye - mosque in Istanbul: history, photo

In recent years, Turkey has become one of the most tourist destinations for Russians. And this is not surprising, because in this country miraculously combines modern technology and identity, multiplied by excellent service and developed infrastructure. At the same time, there are places in this Muslim state, which are worth mentioning separately. One such point of pilgrimage is Suleymaniye - a mosque in Istanbul. About it and talk in more detail in the article.

Brief information

The Suleymaniye mosque in Istanbul, whose history dates back more than one century, was erected in the period from 1550 to 1557 under the leadership of the architect of the era of Sinan. Old manuscripts give us information that 3,523 workers built this religious building, most of which were faithful Muslims. In the process of construction, 96 360 gold coins and almost 83 000 silver coins were spent. All the precious stones and columns for the mosque were brought from different parts of the vast Ottoman Empire. Construction of the mosque Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent ordered to begin on the 30th year of his stay on the throne. At the same time, originally from the architect's point of view, this Moslem shrine should have been similar to the Temple of St. Sophia, but to surpass it in size and splendor of decoration. On the day of the grand opening of the mosque, after completion of the building, the architect said the historical phrase: "This mosque will stand forever!"

Scandal

Due to the fact that the construction of the mosque lasted for long seven years, the sultan was extremely unhappy and furious. And in particular he was angry when he was sent a gift box filled with jewelry. The gift, by the way, was from his worst enemy, the Persian khan. In the language of diplomacy, it was a subtle hint that the Turkish ruler was so poor and weak that he could not complete the mosque. Being furious, the sultan gave numerous visitors to the market emeralds and diamonds. After that, no one dared to anger the ruler in this way.

Restoration

Unfortunately, in 1660 Suleymaniye (the mosque in Istanbul, which annually hosts hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world) was virtually destroyed by the strongest fire. But the Turkish ruler Mehmed IV issued an order to restore the historical and religious monument. The process of restoration was led by a man named Fossati. He made some changes in the appearance of the building, giving it the features characteristic of the European style of the Baroque.

In the XIX century, the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, the photo of which is given below, regained its original appearance. However, during the First World War, the courtyard of the Muslim shrine was used as a large warehouse for storing weapons and ammunition. At a certain moment, all this exploded, and another fire occurred. Restoration work after this emergency was completed only in 1956. The last repair was carried out in 2010.

Appearance

Sulaimaniye is a mosque in Istanbul, which looks at the Golden Horn. It is rightfully ranked among the most striking sights of the Turkish capital. The Muslim temple is very similar to the Cathedral of St. Sophia. The mosque is located on one of the seven famous Istanbul hills. The size of the building is impressive:

• The length is 59 meters.
• The width is 58 meters.
• The height of the main dome is 53 meters.
• The diameter of the main dome is 27 meters.

Enter the Suleymaniye Mosque (the tomb of Roksolana is also located here, next to the graves of the Sultan and their daughter Mikhrimah) can be through three entrances. One of them is located on the side of the courtyard, and the remaining two - from the courtyard.

Near the northern wall of the mosque you can find the tomb of Sinan, which was designed and built by him personally. There is also a popular restaurant in the courtyard of the temple. Its name is Daruzziyafe. Prices in it can not be called cheap, but the quality of food and a wide choice of dishes can satisfy the demands of many gourmets.

The entire perimeter of the Muslim religious structure was surrounded by shopping benches that were built at the same time as the building. By the way, in the days of Suleiman himself, opium was openly sold in these outlets. Nowadays you can buy various sweets and souvenirs, but ice cream, baklava and roasted chestnuts are very popular.

Interior

Despite its impressive size, the mosque has a minimalist interior. At the same time, the interior decor and inscriptions are a truly aesthetic miracle.

On the floor of the Muslim temple are carpets, and not very large in size chandeliers glow dimly and give a good idea to visitors about the era when everything was lit up with candles, the total number of which could reach 4000. The hall of the building has excellent acoustics and is decorated with various floral patterns, Geometric patterns, inscriptions from the Koran.

Also inside there are four huge monumental columns. One of the masters was brought from Baalbek, the second - from Alexandria, and the remaining two fell into the mosque from the palaces of the capital of the Byzantine era. In the room there are 138 window openings, through which sunlight penetrates inside. If necessary, you can light the oil lamps, which in the process of burning emit carbon black, which is subsequently used for the preparation of ink.

Above the central hall of the building is a dome, fixed on four minarets. Especially lightweight bricks were used for this design.

Interesting Facts

The four minarets are a symbol of the fact that Suleiman was the fourth ruler of Istanbul, and ten balconies symbolized his place in his dynasty.

It should also be understood that Muslim countries have their own characteristics, not even Turkey. The Suleymaniye Mosque is a vivid example in this regard. Inside it there are specially designated rooms for women, built in the form of a gallery.

The bathhouse located on the territory of the mosque is still functioning today. Relax and spend time in it for 35 euros. The bath is mixed, and only couples are allowed in it, the same entrance is closed.

In 1985, the mosque was included in the list of cultural heritage of UNESCO, and therefore it is under the protection of international legislation.

Power and strength

Sulaimaniye - a mosque in Istanbul - was built using bricks that were connected with each other using iron staples. In addition, all this was flooded with molten lead. Due to this, the building of the Muslim shrine is very strong and durable. And it's not just words, because the mosque was able to survive several very severe earthquakes without harm. In general, throughout the history of the temple, there have been 89 such natural disasters.

Features

Second place in attendance in Istanbul nowadays is occupied by the Suleymaniye Mosque. The tomb of Roksolana and Suleiman played a significant role in this. The thing is that these two great men were buried on the territory of this temple. And their graves are the most real work of art, to look at which tourists from all over the world come to. One can not ignore such characteristic features of the mosque:

• The complex of the temple is comparable in size to the residential city quarter. Inside the main building there may be 10,000 people at a time.
• Inside the mosque there is a specially constructed pavilion in which Sultan Suleiman devoted himself to prayer, not hiding from his subjects at the same time.
• Magnificent acoustics of the building is due to the presence of 256 hollow bricks, the size of which is 45 x 16 centimeters. It is they who play the role of resonators, due to which the voice of the imam is perfectly audible in all directions.
• Burning candles in the mosque do not create soot.

Visiting rules

A person who wants to get inside a historical and religious building should meet certain requirements, namely:

• It is strictly forbidden to enter the mosque in T-shirts, shorts.
• It is not allowed to enter the shrine in shoes, it must be removed and left near the entrance or carried in the hands of the package.
• A woman must necessarily cover her head and arms.
• The mobile phone must be turned off.
• You can not make noise, behave incontinently in the temple.
• A man is forbidden to pass to the female half, which is often enclosed by a special carved lattice.
• Video shooting and photographing in the mosque is allowed, but it is forbidden to remove praying people, as well as persons in the process of ablution before entering the temple.
• The entrance to the Muslim Cathedral is free, but any voluntary donation will be highly appreciated.
• Immediately at the time of prayer - Muslim worship services - the entrance for tourists to the mosque is closed.

Operating mode

Many fans of the series "The Magnificent Age" would like to see with their own eyes the famous Topkapi Palace, the Suleymaniye Mosque and the tomb of Roksolana and Suleiman. The photos of these objects are undoubtedly beautiful, but they do not allow to fully penetrate the atmosphere of that era. If you have the opportunity, be sure to visit these attractions. The mosque operates on the following schedule:

• From Tuesday to Saturday - from 9:00 to 17:30.
• Monday and Friday - the temple is closed.

The best time for tourist visits to the shrine is from 9:00 to 12:30 and from 13:45 to 15:45.

Location:

The Suleymaniye Mosque, the address of which is given in this article, is a huge complex that includes a kitchen for beggars, a hospital, an infirmary, six schools, a home for the mad, a madrassa.

The Muslim temple is located in the Istanbul district called Eminenu, which, in turn, is 20 kilometers from Ataturk Airport.

Those who want to see the mosque first need to get to the specified area, and then go up the hill, in parallel seeing the Egyptian bazaar and the Rustem Pasha Mosque. You can also take the tram to the main entrance to İstanbul Üniversitesi University, and then walk about 500 meters, bypassing this building on the right.

It is important to know that not a single type of public transport approaches the mosque directly, so a certain segment of the route will still have to be walked (about 5-10 minutes).

The exact address of the mosque is as follows: Süleymaniye Mah., Prof. Sıddık Sami Onar cad. . No: 1, 34116 Fatih / İstanbul .

Double

In Turkey there is another mosque Suleymaniye. Alanya is a city in which this ancient religious Muslim structure is located. The mosque was erected in 1231 by the order of the ruling then Aladdin Keykubat. However, after a while the building began to deteriorate and eventually collapsed. But in the 16th century the Sultan the Lawgiver breathed a second life into the mosque. The temple received one minaret. The very same structure has a square shape, and all the wooden elements are decorated with exquisite carvings. The main dome of the mosque is decorated in the form of a hemisphere and painted in a dark green color.

This Muslim shrine is very interesting because it has a distinctive feature. Architects of those times wanted to have an excellent acoustics in the building, and so to realize the idea they went into a small trick, which consisted of putting 15 small balls under the dome of the mosque.

In addition to the church, in the courtyard of the mosque there is a palace, a school building and military buildings. Also nearby, on the mountain, is the Byzantine fortress, which is also a bright landmark, not only of Alanya itself, but of the whole of Turkey as a whole.