In recent years, Turkey has become one of the most tourist destinations for Russians. And this is not surprising, since this country miraculously combines modern technology and identity, coupled with excellent service and developed infrastructure. However, in this Muslim state there are places that are worth mentioning separately. One of such points of pilgrimage is Suleymaniye - a mosque in Istanbul. We will talk about it in more detail in the article.
Quick reference
The Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, whose history spans more than one century, was erected in the period from 1550 to 1557 under the guidance of the famous architect of that era, Sinan. Long-standing manuscripts give us information that 3,523 workers built this religious building, most of which were Orthodox Muslims. During the construction process, 96,360 gold coins and almost 83,000 silver coins were used up. All precious stones and columns for the mosque were brought from different parts of the vast Ottoman Empire. The construction of the mosque, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, ordered to begin on the 30th year of his stay on the throne. Moreover, initially, according to the architect's idea, this Muslim shrine was supposed to be similar to the Hagia Sophia, but surpass it in size and magnificence of decoration. On the day of the grand opening of the mosque after the construction was completed, the architect uttered the historical phrase: "This mosque will stand forever!"
Scandal
Due to the fact that the construction of the mosque lasted a long seven years, the sultan was extremely unhappy and furious. And in particular, he was angry when they sent him a gift casket 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 is so poor and weak that he is not able to complete the mosque. Being furious, the sultan, with numerous witnesses, distributed emeralds and diamonds to market visitors. After that, no one dared to anger the ruler in this way.
Restoration
Unfortunately, in 1660, Suleymaniye (a mosque in Istanbul, which annually receives hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world) was almost destroyed by a severe fire. But the Turkish ruler Mehmed IV issued an order to restore the historical and religious monument. The restoration process was led by a man named Fossati. He made some changes to the appearance of the building, giving it features characteristic of the European Baroque style.
In the 19th century, the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, the photo of which is shown 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 point, all this exploded, and another fire occurred. Restoration work after this emergency was completed only in 1956. The last current repair was carried out in 2010.
Appearance
Sulaymaniyah is a mosque in Istanbul that looks at the Golden Horn. It is rightly ranked among the most striking sights of the Turkish capital. The Muslim temple is very similar to the Hagia Sophia. The mosque is located on one of the seven famous Istanbul hills. The dimensions of the building are impressive:
- Length - 59 meters.
- Width - 58 meters.
- The height of the main dome is 53 meters.
- The diameter of the main dome is 27 meters.
You can enter the Suleymaniye Mosque (the tomb of Roksolana is also here, next to the graves of the Sultan and their daughter Mihrimah) 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 now popular restaurant in the courtyard of the temple. Its name is Daruzziyafe. The prices in it cannot be called cheap, but the quality of food and a wide selection of dishes can satisfy the needs of many gourmets.
The entire perimeter of the Muslim religious building was surrounded by trading benches, which were built at the same time as the building. Incidentally, at the time of Suleiman himself, opium was openly sold at these outlets. Today, you can buy a variety of sweets and souvenirs, but ice cream, baklava and roasted chestnuts are especially popular.
Interior
Despite its impressive size, the mosque has a minimalist interior. At the same time, the interior decor and inscriptions are truly an aesthetic miracle.
Carpets lie on the floor of the Muslim temple, and not very large chandeliers shine dimly and give visitors a good idea of the era when everything inside was lit 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 Quran.
Also inside are four huge monumental columns. One of them was brought by masters from Baalbek, the second from Alexandria, and the remaining two got into the mosque from the palaces of the capital of the Byzantine era. The room has 138 window openings through which sunlight penetrates. If necessary, oil lamps can be ignited, which during the combustion process emit soot, which is subsequently used for ink preparation.
A dome mounted on four minarets is installed above the central hall of the building. Particularly light bricks were used for this design.
Interesting Facts
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, and Turkey is no exception. The Suleymaniye Mosque is a prime 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 functions today. You can relax and spend time in it for 35 euros. The bathhouse is mixed, and only couples are allowed into it, for single people the entrance is closed.
In 1985, the mosque was inscribed on the UNESCO cultural heritage list, and therefore it is protected by international law.
Power and strength
Sulaymaniyah - a mosque in Istanbul - was built using bricks, which were interconnected using iron brackets. In addition, all this was flooded with molten lead. Due to this, the building of the Muslim shrine is very strong and durable. And these are not just words, because the mosque was able to survive several very hard earthquakes without harming itself. In general, in the history of the temple 89 such natural disasters happened.
Features
The second most visited place in Istanbul nowadays is the Suleymaniye Mosque. The tomb of Roxolana and Suleiman played a significant role in this. The thing is that it was on the territory of this temple that these two great people were buried. Moreover, their graves are a real work of art, which tourists from all over the world come to see. One cannot ignore such characteristic features of a mosque:
- The temple complex is comparable in size to a residential city block. Inside the main building there can be 10,000 people at a time.
- Inside the mosque there is a specially built pavilion in which Sultan Suleiman devoted himself to prayer, while not hiding from his subjects.
- The excellent acoustics of the building is explained by 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 imam's voice is perfectly audible in all directions.
- Burning candles in a mosque do not create soot.
Visiting Rules
A person who wants to get inside a historical and religious building should observe 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 your hands in a bag.
- A woman must cover her head and hands.
- Mobile phone must be disconnected.
- You can not make noise, behave unrestrained in the temple.
- A man climbs to go to the female half, which is often fenced with a special carved grille.
- Video shooting and photographing in the mosque is allowed, but it is forbidden to take pictures of praying people, as well as people who are in the process of bathing at the entrance to the temple.
- Entrance to the Muslim Cathedral is free, but any voluntary donation will be highly appreciated.
- Directly at the time of the prayers - Muslim services - the entrance for tourists to the mosque is closed.
Mode of operation
Many fans of the series “The Magnificent Century” would like to see with their own eyes the famous Topkapi Palace, the Suleymaniye Mosque and the tomb of Roksolana and Suleiman. Photos of these objects are undoubtedly beautiful, but they do not allow to fully penetrate the atmosphere of that era. If you have a chance, by all means visit these attractions. The mosque operates according to 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 the poor, a hospital, an infirmary, 6 schools, a house for the insane, madrassas.
The Muslim temple is located in the Istanbul district called Eminenu, which, in turn, is located 20 kilometers from Ataturk Airport.
Those who want to see the mosque must first get to the specified area, and then go up the hill, parallel to seeing the Egyptian Bazaar and the Rustem Pasha Mosque. You can also take a 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 drives directly to the mosque itself, so you will still have to walk a certain segment of the route (about 5-10 minutes).
The exact address of the mosque is: Süleymaniye Mah., Prof. Sıddık Sami Onar cad. No: 1, 34116 Fatih / İstanbul .
Double
There is another Suleymaniye Mosque in Turkey. Alanya is the city in which this ancient religious Muslim building is located. The mosque was erected in 1231 by order of the then-ruling Alladin Keykubat. However, after some time, the construction began to deteriorate and eventually collapsed. But in the 16th century, the Sultan Legislator breathed a second life into the mosque. The temple received one minaret. The structure itself has a square shape, and all wooden elements are decorated with exquisite carvings. The main dome of the mosque is decorated in the form of a hemisphere and painted in dark green.
This Muslim shrine is very interesting because it is endowed with a distinctive feature. Architects of those times wanted the building to have excellent acoustics, and therefore, to realize their ideas, they went to a little trick, which consisted in the fact that 15 small balls were hung under the dome of the mosque.
In addition to the temple, in the courtyard of the mosque there is a palace, a school institution and military buildings. Also nearby, on the mountain, is the Byzantine fortress, which is also a bright attraction, not only of Alanya itself, but of Turkey as a whole.