In recent years, Turkey has become one of the most popular tourist destinations for Russians. And this is not surprising, since this country miraculously combines modern technology and originality, multiplied by excellent service and developed infrastructure. However, in this Muslim state there are places that are worth mentioning separately. One of these 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, which has a history of more than one century, was built between 1550 and 1557 under the guidance of the famous architect Sinan of that era. Ancient manuscripts give us information that this religious building was built by 3,523 workers, most of whom were devout Muslims. During the construction process, 96,360 gold coins and almost 83,000 silver coins were spent. 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 in the 30th year of his stay on the throne. At the same time, initially, according to the architect’s idea, this Muslim shrine was supposed tobe similar to the Hagia Sophia, but surpass it in size and splendor of decoration. On the day of the grand opening of the mosque after the completion of construction, the architect uttered a historical phrase: "This mosque will stand forever!"
Scandal
Due to the fact that the construction of the mosque lasted seven long years, the Sultan was extremely dissatisfied and furious. And he was especially angry when they sent him a chest filled with jewels as a gift. The gift, by the way, was from his worst enemy, the Persian Khan. In the language of diplomacy, this was a subtle allusion to the fact that the Turkish ruler is so poor and weak that he is not able to complete the construction of the mosque. Furious, the sultan distributed emeralds and diamonds to market visitors in front of numerous witnesses. After that, no one dared to anger the ruler in this way.
Restoration
Unfortunately, in 1660 Suleymaniye (a mosque in Istanbul that 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 the features of the European Baroque style.
In the 19th century, the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, the photo of which is given below, regained its original appearance. However, during the First World War, the court of the MuslimThe shrine was used as a large warehouse for storing weapons and ammunition. At some point, it all exploded, and there was another fire. Restoration work after this emergency was completed only in 1956. The last maintenance was carried out in 2010.
Appearance
Suleimaniye is a mosque in Istanbul that 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 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 located here, next to the graves of the Sultan and their daughter Mihrimah) through three entrances. One of them is located on the courtyard side, and the remaining two are located on the outer 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 here are by no means 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 shops that were built at the same time as the building. By the way, at the time ofSuleiman, opium was openly sold in these outlets. Nowadays, you can buy a variety of sweets and souvenirs here, 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.
There are carpets on the floor of the Muslim temple, and not very large chandeliers shine dimly and give a good idea to visitors about 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 decorated with various floral patterns, geometric patterns, inscriptions from the Koran.
Also, there are four huge monumental columns inside. The craftsmen brought one of them from Baalbek, the second from Alexandria, and the remaining two came to the mosque from the palaces of the capital of the Byzantine era. There are 138 window openings in the room, through which sunlight penetrates inside. If necessary, oil lamps can be lit, which emit soot during combustion, which is subsequently used to make ink.
A dome fixed on four minarets is installed above the central hall of the building. Extra light bricks were used for this construction.
Interesting facts
Four minarets are a symbol of the fact that Suleiman was the fourth ruler of Istanbul, and tenbalconies 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 still functions today. You can relax and spend time in it for 35 euros. The bath is mixed, and only couples are allowed into it, the entrance is closed for singles.
In 1985, the mosque was included in the list of cultural heritage of UNESCO, and therefore it is under the protection of international law.
Power and strength
Suleimaniye - a mosque in Istanbul - was built using bricks, which were interconnected with iron brackets. In addition, all this was filled 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 severe earthquakes without damage to itself. In general, in the entire history of the temple there were 89 such natural disasters.
Features
The second most visited place in Istanbul today is the Suleymaniye Mosque. The tomb of Roksolana 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, look at whichtourists come from all over the world. It is impossible to ignore such characteristic features of the mosque:
- The temple complex is comparable in size to a residential city block. 10,000 people can be inside the main building at a time.
- Inside the mosque there is a specially built pavilion in which Sultan Suleiman devoted himself to prayer without hiding from his subjects.
- The excellent 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 imam's voice is perfectly audible in all directions.
- Burning candles in the mosque do not create soot.
Visit Rules
A person who wants to get inside a historical and religious building must comply with certain requirements, namely:
- It is strictly forbidden to enter the mosque in T-shirts, shorts.
- Shoes are not allowed to enter the shrine, they must be removed and left near the entrance or carried in hands in a bag.
- A woman must cover her head and hands.
- Mobile phone must be turned off.
- You can't make noise, behave unrestrainedly in the temple.
- It is forbidden for a man to move to the female half, which is often protected by a special carved lattice.
- Video filming and photography in the mosque is allowed, but it is forbidden to film praying people, as well as those who are in the process of washing before entering the temple.
- Entrance tothe muslim cathedral is free, but any voluntary donation would be much appreciated.
- Directly at the time of prayers - Muslim worship - the entrance for tourists to the mosque is closed.
Working hours
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 you to fully feel the atmosphere of that era. If you get the chance, be sure to visit these attractions. The mosque operates according to the following schedule:
- Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 to 17:30.
- Monday and Friday - the temple is closed.
The best times for tourist visits to the shrine are 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 lunatic asylum, a madrasah.
The Muslim temple is located in the Istanbul district called Eminenu, which, in turn, is located 20 kilometers from Ataturk Airport.
Wishing to see the mosque, first of all, you need to get to the indicated area, and then go uphill, in parallel seeing the Egyptian Bazaar and the Rustem Pasha Mosque. You can also take the tram to the main entrance of İstanbul Üniversitesi and then walkapproximately 500 meters, bypassing this building on the right side.
It is important to know that no type of public transport approaches 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 as follows: Süleymaniye Mah., Prof. Sıddık Sami Onar cad. No:1, 34116 Fatih/İstanbul.
Double
There is another Suleymaniye Mosque in Turkey. Alanya is the city where this ancient religious Muslim building is located. The mosque was built in 1231 by order of the then ruling Aladdin Keykubat. However, after some time, the structure began to deteriorate and eventually collapsed. But in the 16th century, the Sultan the Legislator breathed a second life into the mosque. The temple received one minaret. The building itself has a square shape, and all wooden elements are decorated with elegant carvings. The main dome of the mosque is designed 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. The architects of those times wanted the building to have excellent acoustics, and therefore, in order to bring the idea to life, they went for a little trick, which consisted in hanging 15 small balls under the dome of the mosque.
Besides the temple, the courtyard of the mosque has a palace, a school and military buildings. Also nearby, on the mountain, there is a Byzantine fortress, which is also a striking attraction, not only of Alanya itself, but of Turkey as a whole.
