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| Blue
Mosque |
| To Sultan Ahmed I
(1603-1617) fell the honor of constructing a mosque on the plaza that
could rival and reflect the magnificence of Ayasofya. This structure
is frequently referred to as the "Blue Mosque" because of
the extraordinary tiles decorations. These tiles, whose blue tones
imbue the interior with an ethereal atmosphere, were produced in Iznik
when the industry there had achieved full maturity. The Sultanahmet
mosque is also unusual for its six minarets and it is the only mosque
in Istanbul with so many. (In Ottoman times, only sultans and the
members of their immediate families were allowed to build mosques
with multiple minarets.) The building is the work of the architect
Ahmet Aga, who adhered to the mosque-building traditions established
by the great Sinan. Construction began in 1609 and was completed in
1616. The practice of stringing up lights between the minarets of
mosques spelling out messages during the Ramazan month of fasting
was begun by Ahmed I and has since become a custom. |
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