Appreciation – Study Visit In Türkiye Pt.1

As I have noted before, last year I had a chance to do a self-funded study trip to Türkiye to study Islamic arts namely Tezhip (gilded illumination) and Calligraphy in an institution there as well as to study Ottoman Turkish and Turkish Language. I was there for a bit more than 2 months so I went to a lot of places and cities during my time. Unfortunately, the 2023 earthquake hit the southern part of the country and therefore many of my classes were cancelled or cut short ; many of my teachers were affected directly or worked as volunteers in the affected areas. During my times of not having my classes I would go around Istanbul to visit (in most cases, again) the historic places in that ancient city.

I arrived in Türkiye on 20th of December 2022, about 10 days before starting my course in Istanbul. After registering and handling all the necessary things for my study I took a flight and went to Sivas, a city in the eastern part of the country. This is my first time coming to this part of the country, so everything is quite new for me. I only stayed there for about 2 nights, and during my time there I had the chance to visit some of the main sights of the city.

Sivas is a beautiful and calm ancient city which is known more for its role for the establishment of the Turkish Republic, where it held the congress of Sivas and hosted Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. However, I was not there for that part of Turkish history. There was a lot of Seljuk and Ottoman heritages you can find here, although mostly you will see Seljuk period monuments. I even stayed at a Seljuk-era restored Han (inn) not too far from the city center. Also the city is very pedestrian friendly so much so in fact you can easily just walk to the city center (Kent Meydanı) and see all the points of interest there in a short time.

Just about 20 minutes walk from my hotel (The restored Han, Behram Paşa Otel) is the city centre where you can visit sights such as the the Buruciye Medrese, the Çifte Minare Medresesi and the Kale Camii. So you can actually see all the main sights here in one day unless you want to go to the Archeological Museum which is a bit north to the center, although still in a very comfortable walking distance. Most of my time I could not walk a long distance to my bad legs (which turns out to be calcium deficiency!) so I mostly walked around the city center and visited all the sights there.

First, lets talk about the hotel I stayed in – Behram Paşa Otel. It was a beautifully restored Han (caravanserai inn) built in 1576. It still has the characteristics of the original building including the lion motifs around its windows. but restored and remade into a modern hotel and restaurant. In the middle of the hotel which used to be the courtyard of the Han there is the hotel’s restaurant, which is open for breakfast for the guests and lunch and dinner for public . Some Turkish people are heavy smokers and since it is actually acceptable to smoke indoors here, all the smoke goes up to the rooms on the second floor which is as you can imagine is quite uncomfortable. Thankfully when the restaurant closes the smell ceases. The room itself was good enough for a solo traveler like me. It was small and cramped just like my own room back home. As you can imagine, the rooms are actually converted from the original Han rooms, so the sizes are exactly the same as it was back then… plus a small corner of the room allotted for the bathroom. You can really feel like you are a traveler from the old times traveling along the Silk Road, but with modern amenities and comforts.

Not far from the hotel is the city’s old square, where many of the city’s main sights are situated. As you can see the square is actually sunken from the rest of the city, presumably like many other places in Türkiye, are built upon the older foundations. To reach the square you have to take a flight of stairs down. It is quite surreal to see these beautiful historical ancient mosques and marasahs surrounded by modern cut and paste apartments and building. Such a fascinating juxtaposition and yet, you can really imagine yourself in a time long past , wondering upon these fantastical creation of man.

If you’re coming from the east side of the city, you will be able to immediately see the twin minarets of the Çifte Minare Medresesi (twin minaret religious school) Although most of the building is in ruins, the front facade and the characteristic two minarets still stands today. Looking at it up close, despite its ruined state, is a marvel to see. It makes you wonder how, several hundred years ago, our ancestors can do such complicated art. The arabesques, the muqarnas, the kufic calligraphy and the geometric design are all carved masterfully onto the walls of the madrasa. Imagine to study in these kind of schools where you are always surrounded with these amazing art!

Just across the Çifte Minareli Medrese, is another madrasa called Şifaiye Medresesi where it was once both a hospital (Darüşşifa) and a school for medical studies – hence the name . Now it is a bazaar where the local handicrafts for tourists are sold here as well as a cafe. It features a large courtyard with a fountain in the middle. The whole place was calm, and no one was pushing you to buy anything. If all, they were a bit surprised to see a foreigner in their city. On one side of the Medrese there was a beautifully decorated facade. This is the burial place of the Rum Seljuk Sultan Izeddin Keykavus I. The facade is a beautiful example of Seljuk art and architecture, and although you cannot enter the chamber itself, you can peer inside, revealing a dark room with a beautifully carved mihrab. Soft light shines from the four windows on two sides of the room, falling on the tiled cenotaphs that lies within.

A very short walk away is the Kale Mosque, an Ottoman Era mosque build by Sultan Murad III’s governor to Sivas Ali Beyoğlu Mahmud Paşa in 1580 thus the alternative name Mahmud Paşa mosque. It bears all the characteristics of the Ottoman mosque. The building is essentially a square mosque, topped with an elegant low dome. Inside the mosque is simple but beautifully decorated with tiles and painted ornaments. The Mihrab and Mimbar are minimally decorated but made from luxurious marble. A singular minaret stands west of the mosque. In the outside there was a curious stone called the Sadaka taşi where alms were given and taken in anonymity in the old days. nearby was a hammam which is a part of the mosque complex although unfortunately was left in ruins.

As I noted before, when I embarked on this journey I had a terrible pain in my legs that I could not walk a lot even in short distances. So when I finished touring the city centre and doing a little bit of shopping for the cold weather, I took a taxi and went straight back to the hotel to rest for the next day’s adventure.

Appreciation – Islamic Religious Architecture in Turkey – Ottoman Mosques

I absolutely forgotten to write about this topic after I had finished my Istanbul appreciation post! In this post I will only discus about my own view about Ottoman Mosques. I know that there are a lot more to this topic than what I have discussed here. I will delve into this topic in detail once I get more experience and I have seen enough of the Turkish religious architecture.

History

The Ottoman Empire has a long and very illustrious history. What started as a dynasty started by a tribal leader Osman I in the Anatolian region in 1299AD lead to a vast empire reaching from parts of the Northern African region and the Balkan States in the west to parts of Persia in the East and the Hejaz in Saudi Arabia in the South. The empire became a melting pot of cultures with the different citizens of the empire bringing their own religions, art styles and customs. The fact that the Ottoman Empire also had close relationships with other empires such as China, Javanese and Western empires also contributed to the culmination and absorption of the different art and culture especially in the cultural center like Istanbul, where the influences can be seen.

This can also be seen reflected in the architecture of the Ottoman Empire. In fact, only by seeing the different building we can actually establish the timeline of the buildings within the Ottoman empire period even without knowing the actual date of the building, and we can also see the influences reflected in these buildings.

What can be said here is that by establishing the approximate time of the building within the the period of the Ottoman Empire just by simply seeing the architectural styles of that particular style. In this article I try to explain the different styles of architecture that I have seen when I was in Turkey as well as explain how the styles came to be.

Before The Conquest of Istanbul

During my visit to Turkey I was able to put a day trip to Bursa, a city which is several hours drive from Istanbul. Bursa was the first capital of the Ottoman Empire before the conquest of Constantinople or Istanbul. Thus here you can see the earliest examples of Ottoman architecture. One of the most prominent example of this is the Great Mosque of Burse, which was built in 1399. This is where you can see that the Ottomans, in their early days, inherited the architectural style of the previous Seljuk Sultanate of Rum and the Anatolian Beyliks.

The architectural style of the Seljuks is quite distinct. The style of their mosques are rectangular in shape, with a hypostyle prayer hall (A hall with many pillars). The mosque would be dark as windows are sparse. In the Great Mosque of Bursa’s case, the main natural light source is the skylight in the center of the mosque over the mosque’s fountain. The interior of the mosque is not decorated except for calligraphy, as well as focal points of the mosques such as the Mihrab and the Mimbar. The exterior in the meantime features typical Islamic mosque features such as minarets and muqarnas above the entrances. The Minarets, however, are different from the later Ottoman styles, which are slimmer and a lot taller.

The light well in the Great Mosque of Bursa. You can see the many pillars of the hall. The walls are only decorated with calligraphy works. You can also see the mosque is rather dark due to the lack of open windows (most of the windows are of stained glass)

Another mosque in the city, the Green Mosque, is a smaller but yet another excellent example of the early Ottoman architectural style. However, the interior is a lot more richer than the Great Mosque of Bursa, having a lot of decorative tiles particularly in the Muezzin Mahfil (The Muezzin’s pavillion) at the back of the main prayer hall.
This mosque was built within several years before the conquest of Istanbul, in 1421.

To compare, we can look into the Isa Bey Mosque in Selcuk, as it is an example of the Anatolian Beylik mosque. With the exception of the forecourt (which is influenced by the Arab mosques for example the Great Mosque of Damascus) and the lack of the pillared hall, the architectural style of the Anatolian Beyliks and the early Ottomans are basically similar.

Muezzin Mahfilis on either side and the Hunkar Mahfili above the main entrance at the Green Mosque of Bursa

After 1453

1453 marks the conquest of Constantinople or later to be known as Istanbul. As Constantinople was the capital city of the Byzantines, there were a lot of Byzantine churches in the city, such as the Hagia Sophia, The Chora Church and the Zeyrek Mosque. Although the Ottomans exposure to the art and architecture of the Byzantines was long before the conquest of Istanbul, it is during this time that Ottoman mosques start to draw influences from Byzantine styles.

Byzantine cathedrals and churches are large, wide open spaces with low 2/3 domes crowning the buildings. Plenty of windows are employed to give the building a light and airy atmosphere. The buildings were built from masonry or marble The best example of this is the Hagia Sophia, where the large expanse of space within the main hall upheld by large buttress pillars became the example of the mosques later during the Ottoman empire’s timeline. The Byzantine style must have a profound effect on the Ottomans, as they converted churches into mosques and assimilated the styles into their own, and thus creating structures which are Ottoman but with essentially Byzantine in style.

The Hagia Sophia with its many windows illuminating the prayer hall

The most prominent Ottoman Imperial architect, Mimar Sinan, employed the floor plan of the churches and borrowed from the technologies and styles of the Byzantines to create the quintessential Ottoman Imperial Mosque style. The Ottomans then improved upon the style and created even more impressive sacred structures than what the Byzantines had done. Some of the mosques built in the Ottoman Imperial styles are the Suleymaniye, the Blue Mosque or Sultan Ahmet Mosque and the Rustem Pasha Mosque. coupled with decorative elements which are specifically Ottoman such as decorative tiles and masterworks of calligraphy and stone carvings, they have created a new style of mosques ; airy, bright and large, which is a lot different compared to the Early Ottoman styles.

The Dome of the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque in Edirnekapi, Istanbul.

Late Ottoman

Later during the Ottoman times, Western art and culture Influenced came into the empire and thus influenced many aspects of the Ottomans, including the architecture. The influence can not only be seen in secular architecture such as palaces, it can also be seen in mosques. The influence of Baroque,Rococo, Art Deco and even Gothic art and architecture styles of Europe can be seen during these time. Architectural styles from this period can be compared to the Versailles palace in France, for example. Marble and gold and European style sculptural motifs are used alongside traditional Turkish decoration such as painted stucco and Iznik tiles.

The Dolmabahce mosque, near the Dolmabahce palace in Istanbul. The form is still essentially Ottoman, but the decorations are clearly European influenced. Note the Ionic column style of the minarets and the turrets surrounding the main dome.

Appreciation – Istanbul Pt.30 – Conclusion

After spending almost two amazing weeks in Turkey, I learned so many things there, not only on Islamic art and Architecture, but also personal lessons (which I will not mention here, for it has nothing to do with this blog!) Turkey is an amazing place for everyone, not only for students of Islamic art and architecture, but quite literally to every one ; young and old, no matter what their interests are. But it is especially interesting for us Islamic art aficionados. The layers of history in the city of Istanbul alone, from the early Roman times, to the Byzantine to the Ottoman era, there are lots to see and absorb here. Being the capital of the Ottoman Empire, you can expect to see an unbelievable concentration of Ottoman Islamic art and architecture here. Whether you are just starting your journey on the appreciation of this art form, or have been delving into it as a professional for years, I think Turkey and especially Istanbul is an absolutely befitting place to start your voyage into the amazing Islamic art and Architecture.

Here are a few takeaways from my trip. Expect in-depth articles on some of these topics sometime soon :

About Ottoman and Turkish art and culture

This might be more of a personal observation rather than a topic pertaining about Islamic art and architecture, however I don’t think we can properly discuss about Islamic art without mentioning the integration of Islamic values within the Turkish culture, as it does give hints about how distilled Islam is within the lives of the Turks, and hence how it permeates into their art and culture.

I think this might be one of a culture shock that I experienced while being there. Coming from a rather conservative Islamic nation, and thinking that Turkey is far more secular than what I am used to, I can’t help but notice the Islamic culture deeply ingrained into the Turks’ daily life.

Everywhere you go you would see the men especially have their Tasbeeh/Misbah (Islamic prayer rosary) in their hands wherever they go. Although I think this is more of a habit inherited from their fathers, and perhaps the Tasbeeh is only acts a fidgeting gadget (much like the fidget spinner) but you just cannot help that they have a religious item in their hands always. Of course, what they do with it is their personal choice, I would like to think they are, intentionally or not, recite their Zikirs (remembrance prayers) as they pass the beads between their fingers.

I also see how hospitable they are towards their guests. Personally I experienced this in several ways : A helpful gesture when I got lost on the metro, a protective gesture against crowds when, a brief hug from someone I just knew, hotel staffs going beyond their way to help, tourist guides who won’t take money for the extra places he brought me to and the list goes on. I think this is a deeply rooted belief from Islam, which believed that guests are from God, and must be treated as best as they could.

Thus in art, especially traditional, Ottoman (and subsequently, Turkish) art are very much based in the ideas of Islamic art culture – everywhere you will see geometric designs, vegetal motifs and elegant calligraphy wherever you go, even at the places which are more decidedly European in style, like in the Dolmabahce palace. This is in line with Islamic restrictions (or perhaps more like limitations?) of not making representations of living beings such as animals or human.

There are more Turkish cultural identities that I noticed that are based on Islam, but I wouldn’t delve much into it, as it is not really about physical Islamic art…or perhaps you would like a separate article discussing this? Leave a comment below if you wish to read about it 🙂

Ottoman Religious Architecture

In Turkey and especially Istanbul, with the layers of Ottoman history, you can actually delineate and differentiate the architectural styles of mosques. I visited several in Istanbul as well as in Bursa, I got the chance to further understand the language of Ottoman religious architecture before the conquest of Constantinople, and to compare them, to take note of their inspirations and influences, apparent differences, and subtle similarities.

There are also buildings that are not mosques, but still pertaining to Islam. smaller buildings are medreses, namazgahs and the like are quite literally all over Turkey. What are they? It will be a very interesting topic to discuss.

Again, I would write this up in a separate article. It is an interesting topic, surely. Expect the articles about the types mosques of the Ottoman Empire and Turkish republic soon.

Special features of Ottoman Mosques

Perhaps this could be combined with the above topic, however I think it should be a separate article, simply because some of the features in Ottoman and Turkish mosques are quite frankly not available in other countries. So when I saw them for the first time, I did not their purposes and names, until I saw them used and then much later I learned about what they are.

Mihrabs and Mimbars are standard in any mosques, but how about Hunkar Mahfili and Muezin Mahfili? If you don’t have any idea about Turkish mosques you might learn something new. How about the peculiarity and the uniqueness of the standard features of mosques in Turkish mosques? This again will be an interesting topic to ponder upon!

Ottoman Secular Architecture

Of course in cities, there are not only religious places, but civil places as well. These buildings from the Ottoman era actually have characteristics which are special to the Turks, and are deeply influenced by Persian and Islamic architecture.

You will see Hammams, courthouses, public buildings and palaces which, if you are not seeing them carefully, might confuse them with mosques and other religious buildings. They are essentially similar however with my observation we can see the differences that they have.

These are the takeaways that I got from my visit to Turkey in 2017. It was 3 years ago, yet I want to return back there again and learn more about this magnificent country and its culture, especially its Islamic heritage. Alas 2020 have not been very friendly with us, however I wish in a few years we will be able to travel again and I will return there for the next episode.

Appreciation – Istanbul Pt.29– Bits and Pieces

As I finished the series of articles about my trip to Turkey in 2017, I would like to post a few more photos of the places I had visited, the photos that I couldn’t fit into the separate posts. These are the remnants of the photos I had taken that are still in my laptop, while the rest had been lost forever 😥

Enjoy these photos and the following captions! Stay tuned for my conclusion of this trip!

Sokollu Mehmet Pasa Mosque, seen from a balcony of the house of a rather pushy carpet seller in Sultanahmet square. This is the mosque that I passed almost everyday while I was in Istanbul, only to realize the significance much later into my trip. The view was absolutely incredible, for the price of two carpet cushion covers!

The bronze grill of the library of Sultan Mahmut I in the Hagia Sophia. The section is inaccessible, however you can view inside the library from the main hall. Of course, this is a later addition to the Hagia Sophia, not a part of the original cathedral structure. The gilt bronze of the grilles are simple exquisite, showing off the beautiful work of the Ottoman craftsmen.

A beautiful stained glass window in the Cinli Kosk of the Istanbul Archeological Museum. This building is beautifully decorated with rich Iznik tiles, while the stained glass windows reminds me of Sultan Ahmet Mosque, when the light hits them and gave the exhibit halls a magnificent, ethereal glow.

Büyük Mecidiye Camii, or better known as the Ortaköy mosque, with one of the bridge connecting Europe and Asian sides of Istanbul in the background. This is one of the best picture I had taken with my humble point-and-shoot. When I looked into this mosque I realized that I had seen calligraphic works by Sultan Abdulmecid I. This is rather new to me, as usually, in my opinion, leaders do not delve in creative fields. The Ottoman sultans had a lot of secrets that sometimes surprises me pleasantly. I will look into his work and probably will put it up as an appreciation post here.

I am not sure where I had taken this photo, but I think it was one of the Turbe of the Ottoman Sultans, probably Sultan Suleyman. I love Iznik tiles, and seeing this unique motif of Tree of Life and a mosque lamp upclose is amazing. It is really a wonder how detailed the work that have been done on these Iznik tiles.

Semsi Pasa Mosque, the mosque in Uskudar that I had mentioned in my previous post. This mosque is famous for being a mosque that birds cannot land on, again as I had noted before. As you can see, there are no birds flying over the mosque. This is because the strong winds over the mosque as it sits next to the shoreline of the Bosphrous, and this is unique because most if not all mosques in Turkey are frequented by birds, as they soar very high and provide ample space for birds to land on.

Appreciation – Istanbul Pt.28– Şemsi Paşa Mosque

This is one of the mosques that I have forgotten to mention in my previous posts because frankly I literally forgot I had visited the Asian side of Istanbul. I visited it with a friend on one afternoon, so I think it was a rather short time. Nevertheless, here is the post!

This is one post that I am doing not following the time line of my visit. One afternoon in Istanbul my friend decided to bring me to the Asian side of the city to visit some historical mosques in Üsküdar. For you who did not know, Istanbul is situated on two continents, Europe and Asia, separated by the Bosphrous.

It was the afternoon of my visit to the Topkapi palace. I spend most of my mornings and early afternoon there, before proceeding to Edirnekapı again, meet with my friend, then perform the noon prayer at the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque and having a hearty but expensive Malay meal as a nearby Malaysian restaurant. We then went to the Asian side together via the tramway and the metro – which I think runs underneath the Bosphrous; a fact I have only noticed long after my visit. In the metro stations we see these reproductions on tiles of old maps depicting the Üsküdar area, and some of the archeological findings when they were excavating the line underneath the Bosphrous. It was amazingly captivating from a history lover’s point of view and I took several pictures of them ; unfortunately I have lost those pics now.

When we arrived it was already in the later half of the afternoon. As it was still winter, the sun sets quite early, so when we alighted the metro and exited the station, the sun was on its way to set. The golden hour give the best opportunity to take pictures, as you can see below even with a sub-par phone camera.

We went directly straight to the mosque near the edge of Bosphrous. It was somehow low profile with its modest size, but the architecture still commands an impressive sight. This is Şemsi Paşa Mosque, one of the mosque designed by the great Ottoman architect, Mimar Sinan, for Şemsi Paşa who was a Grand Vizier to the Ottoman Empire. Sinan designed this in 1580, when he was 90. Imagine still working during that age! However, it is agreed that most of the masterpieces Sinan produced was during these times.

The design of this mosque is quite unique in its layout. There are two parts to the complex of the mosque – the prayer hall and the Medrese (religious school). The main building of the mosque, the prayer hall, faces southeast, the direction of Mecca. However, the uniqueness lies with the plan for the Medrese, where it is parallel to the Bosphrous seashore. This is different from many of the mosques that I have seen with other mosques in Istanbul, which usually attaches the Medrese to the outer courtyard of the mosque according to where it faces, for example, the Sokollu Mehmet Paşa mosque that I had mentioned in the previous post. The Medrese is in an L shape, enclosing a portion of the courtyard of the mosque. A long wall encloses another side which leads to the edge of the seaside.

According to my friend, there is an interesting story to the mosque. Birds actually do not – and cannot – land on this mosque, due to the strong winds as it is right beside the Bosphrous sea. Story has it that the Şemsi Paşa, the Grand Vizier who commissioned this mosque, asked Mimar Sinan to built him a mosque where the birds won’t land on, and found him this location. The more you learn about Sinan, the more amazing to know about his character and wisdom.

It is also called Kuşkonmaz, which means…asparagus? I have no idea why the mosque is called this way as well, although I though it initially meant ‘where birds don’t land’

The mosque interior is rather small, reminding me of the Firuz Ağa Mosque near Sultan Ahmet Square, down to the floorplan. Most of the decorations are painted – perhaps only recently restored. There a several items hung on the walls such as framed calligraphic art – I remember specifically a framed Kaftan, but I could not find the photo at all. The tomb of the founder of the mosque, Şemsi Paşa, can be seen from the main prayer hall from an opening cordoned off by a grill screen. On one side, nearest the Mimbar, there was a screen off portion of the mosque, presumably reserved for women worshipers. Beautiful stained glass windows line the mosque, allowing colourful lights to enter the mosque with the late afternoon sun.

We exited the mosque after prayers and while waiting for the dusk prayer, we walked along the seaside. The water of the sea is precariously near the height of the stone steps, and with the waves of the water lapping and spilling over making the paths wet, I can’t help but think that I might slip and drop directly to the sea – a very morbid thought considering how deep the water is, and the fact that I cannot swim at all.

Appreciation – Istanbul Pt.27– Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Mosque

Towards the end of my last day of my journey, I revisited some of the places near where I had stayed to see what I had missed during my first few days. There was just a lot of things to be see it was quite disorienting at first, being in such a foreign land. Now that I understand my surroundings a little better (although sadly I will be leaving the next day) I am ready to explore a little bit more of the old city of Istanbul, through the paths and streets I walked through almost every day of my trip.

As I left the Grand Bazaar, I again walk back to my hotel from Sultanahmet square. As I passed the square I witnessed an Ottoman Military marching band (Mehter) playing in front of the Museum of Islamic Art. It was an interesting sight and I like to think I was lucky to pass the square at that time, as it seems like a rare occurrence that the band would play just when I came there, although I have no idea what is the occasion.

After the band finished playing, I resumed my way back down the hill to my hotel which is in Kadirga area. Along the way, I passed by a rather large mosque in the neighbourhood. I passed this mosque day in and day out, not thinking much about it, not realizing that this mosque is one of the most important mosque in Istanbul.

The mosque is called Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Mosque, a 16th century Ottoman Mosque built by the Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmet Pasha and his wife Ismihan Sultan. It was designed by the grandmaster of Ottoman architecture Mimar Sinan. The size is generous and the style is quite typical of Ottoman Architecture, however as it sits on a slope, Mimar Sinan actually built the mosque over a platform that holds shops back in the day, which helps with the upkeep of the mosque.

I went into the compound of the mosque via a rather curious two flights of stairs, which is actually unique to this mosque, because as I said before, Sinan built it on top of a two storied courtyard, the lower being shops. In the main courtyard before the mosque’s main hall, there are the typical arched corridors of Ottoman imperial mosques, only this time they actually hold a Medrese, a religious school. Although nowadays it is covered with glass windows, and behind these glass facade I have no idea what are they used for currently. A quick search later I learned that they hold boys’ Quran classes, so they still function basically the same as they way they are before. In the center of the courtyard there is a 12-sided ablution fountain topped with a uniquely shaped dome, which looks like an onion somehow.

For the main prayer hall, it is what you would expect of an imperial Ottoman mosque, but it is very gorgeously decorated with blue Iznik tiles. The main wall of the Mihrab itself is covered with blue Iznik tiles from the floor to the ceiling. The dome is decorated with Ottoman style decorative painting, while the Mimbar is amarble masterpiece topped with the typical Ottoman hexagonal minaret shape, topped with a conical spire. It is covered with iznik tiles as well.

You might be wondering, why is it one of the most important mosque in Istanbul? The answer would be what lies hidden in some of the important spots within the mosque. This mosque actually holds pieces of the Hajratul Aswad, the black stone taken from the Kaaba in Mecca. It is special because I think it is the only instance of the black stone taken out from Mecca and installed in other places. When I came here, the Imam was there so he actually pointed out the stones which are actually quite hard to spot – The stones are inlaid into the marble walls in the front of the Mimbar and on the top of it, above the Mihrab, and above the main entrance into the main prayer hall.

I was rather dumbfounded to be honest. I did not have any idea that this mosque would hold one of the most precious relic from Mecca, somewhere that I am yearning to go to as a Muslim. I stayed for a while at the mosque, staring at these pieces of the stones, as the sky got darker and darker by the minute ; it was going to rain very soon. I have to go back to my hotel as soon as possible, as the rain of Istanbul is bitter and cold.

As I made my way back down the flight of stairs I went in, I stared back to the open door of the mosque. It is an experience that I couldn’t really explain. It was some sort of longing or missing. Perhaps a longing for Turkey that I will soon leave, or perhaps the spark in my heart, that calling from Mecca, that resonated with my inner self when I saw those pieces of stone.

*The entrance and the stairs to the main courtyard of the mosque.*

*The view from the main courtyard*, *with the ablution fountain*

*The entrance of the Mosque, with the painted ceiling of the dome and the Muqarnas above the door*

*The marble Mimbar of the mosque. You can see the beautiful geometric latticework on the balustrade as well as the iznik tile covered cone on the top.*

*Apologies for the blurry picture! This is the entire wall of the Mihrab, totally covered in blue iznik tiles*

*The main dome of the mosque with the gorgeous and delicate calligraphy work and decorative patterns*

Appreciation – Istanbul Pt.25– Arab Mosque, Istanbul

The day after my visit to Selcuk, I am again in Istanbul to spend my last two days of my trip to Turkey. I took the chance to visit another curious mosque I had passed by a few times before.

Early the next morning I arrived to Istanbul from Selcuk, I decided to explore more of the area I somehow neglected before. I had passed the area several times before but I did not bother to explore more. Little did I know I passed one of the most important mosque in Istanbul.

I went to the Karakoy area of Istanbul, a place just past the Galata bridge, but still within the European side of the city. In this area stood Arab mosque, or Arap Camii in Turkish, a very historical building taking even before the conquest of Istanbul in 1453.

The Arap Camii (Arab Mosque) is originally a Roman Catholic church built in 1325 by Dominican Order of friars. It was converted into a mosque between 1475 – 1478 during the rule of Sultan Mehmet II. In 1492, the Arabs of Andalus (Islamic era Spain) who escaped the Spanish Inquisition fled to Istanbul were given this mosque by Sultan Beyazid II, which gives the mosque its current name Arap Camii (Arab Mosque)

The structure, although had withstood Ottoman renovations, still maintains its medival religious Gothic architecture. This is why if you visit the mosque, the overall architectural language of the mosque is quite different from those of former Byzantine churches , as I will elaborate.

While Byzantine (Greek Orthodox) Churches is based on the Greek Cross floor plan (the shape of an equal length armed cross) and feature domes, medieval Gothic architecture on the other hand uses the Crucifix floor plan, (the shape of the common Cross that you would imagine) and Gothic architecture does not use domes. This is the type of architecture you will find in Arap Camii – even with the Ottoman modifications, you still can see the original rectangular floor plan of the church. Another thing you will notice is that while Byzantine churches face Jerusalem, This church does not, so that when it was converted into a mosque, the mihrab was placed in the apse of the former church without any slanting of direction.

Outside the mosque, you can also still see the original belfry tower, modified into a minaret by the Ottoman by adding an octagonal roof on top of it. When you walk around the mosque you will feel like you are in some European country rather than in Istanbul – the architecture is really quite unique among the Byzantine and Ottoman buildings.

The other Ottoman additions to the mosque are a şadırvan (ablution fountains) as well as graves and tombs around the vicinity. The marble and gilded decoration doors to the main prayer hall exhibits the style common during the later period of the Ottoman empire.

Inside the mosque it is relatively simple. You enter from the midway of the building. Inside you can distinctly see the two levels of the mosque, upheld by a series of wooden columns. The ceiling of the mosque of the galleries and the main hall itself are also wooden – apparently these are more recent additions to the mosques. Red carpet covers all of the mosque. A typical Ottoman style Mimbar with turquoise conical roof stood toward one end of the mosque near a niche which used to be the apse of the former church. Above and across the Mimbar is the decorated Hunkar Mahfili where the Ottoman sultans would pray. Right in the centre of the main prayer hall is the Muezzin Mahfili, the platform on upon which the Muezzin (prayer caller) stood and announced the call of prayer during services. The niche where the Mihrab, which is late Ottoman by design, is as I said before set within the apse of the former church, although it is slightly off centre; perhaps to allocate the Hunkar Mahfili. Thus the third arched window on the left is obscured by a room or a wall, so that the Mihrab is slightly on the right below 2 stained windows. When I was there it seems like some of the decorations especially the painted ones are recent. Acanthus leaves motif is painted above an arch but I can see that they were made just recently, by the spacing between the patterns that I recognize to be stencil lines.

Since I came to the mosque around 10 in the morning, I only performed a Tahyiattul Masjid (greeting the mosque) prayer before going on my way to my next destination ; the Grand Bazaar, which is back at the old city of Istanbul.

*The main entrance to the prayer hall of the mosque*

*Interior of the mosque. You can see the Mihrab and Mimbar as well as the Muezzin Mahfili*.(Wikipedia)

Appreciation – Istanbul Pt.24– İsa Bey Mosque, Selcuk

Like the previous few posts I am again out of Istanbul, took a plane from Ataturk Airport to Selcuk, a city famous for its ancient city Ephesus. I went there for half a day to visit this spot specfically, as well as some religious sites like the house of the Virgin Mary and the Grotto of the Seven Sleepers. These sites does not offer any insight on Islamic art and architecture, although towards the end of the day when I got back to Selcuk, I went to the largest mosque in the city before going back to Istanbul. This mosque is quite impressive historically and artistically, as you will read in this post. Again the post title is a misnomer ; and I acknowledge that, but just like the previous posts, I cannot change the running title now. Happy reading!

After a rather hectic day of traveling between cities by plane, taking the bus from the airport and the nearest city Selcuk, hiring a driver for the day and touring three different historical sites by myself. By the end of the day, while waiting for my flight back to Istanbul, I toured the city of Selcuk courtesy of the taxi driver I hired for the day. We went around the city side, looking at pretty little Ottoman houses and small mescids (mosques) near the city centre. Knowing that I am a Muslim, the drive brought me to the largest – and oldest – mosque in the city ; the İsa Bey Mosque

The İsa Bey Mosque is a historical mosque in Selcuk, being built in 1374-1375, and is considered one of the oldest and best remaining architectural wonders built by the Anatolian Beyliks. The architectural language of this mosque is more akin to classical Arab mosque architecture rather than the Turkish mosque, which is a rectangular shaped hall with a forecourt. It is said that the floorplan of this mosque is based on the Great Mosque of Damascus, despite that there are not enough pillars and columns to draw that comparison in my opinion, although the gabled roof part of the building reminds me strongly of it. The decorations used for the mosque are quite similar with those from Arab countries like Syria and Egypt. There are alternating coloured masonry used (known as Ablaq – I will write an article about this decorative feature soon) which is quite common in Arab countries, as well as decoration that features geometric frames in dark stone. which you can see at the prominently displayed above the gate of the mosque into the forecourt and above the mihrab. The calligraphic works, although any were in a state of disrepair inside this mosque also reminds me strongly of those in Egypt in execution and style.

Before you enter into the compound of the mosque, you will go through a street full of souvenir vendors, selling religious items and even, quite interestingly, statuettes of the famous Lady of Ephesus, the multi-boobed image of Artemis best known in this region. I feel like there’s an irony at play here, but then again, the former Temple of Artemis is in the vicinity of the mosque.

In the forecourt you can see some pillars surrounding a central garden. Some of the pillars seemed like those that you can found in a Grecian temple. Interestingly enough, in the distance you can see what remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, which now is nothing more than a singular pillar, standing lonely in a field just a walk away from the mosque. Perhaps this mosque used some of the temple’s pillars? Although, comparing the pillars they are quite different. Perhaps the mosque’s pillars are smaller ones from the Temple of Artemis, another temple altogether or maybe made by the builders themselves?

A singular, broken off minaret stood near the entrance from where you would enter from the street. It seemed to look like it was made with bricks judging from the red colour of the remaining tower, unlike the rest of the mosque, which is clad in what I presume to be white marble. When I read the fact plate of the mosque, its seems like that there was another minaret for it, however it was destroyed because of earthquakes in the 17th century

The main prayer hall is covered with a wall to wall carpet in deep red, and a wooden partition segregating the women worshiper stood on one corner of the room. Tall, thick pillars held up the wooden roof upon masonry arches. Under the domes, Iznik tiles decorate the drum. Small arched windows dot the prayer hall, but does not allow much light unlike the main door. The main prayer hall itself is a vast open space with very little decorations. Surmounted by a double dome, they rise high above the worshippers heads. From the main light source of the main door of the prayer hall, the most striking feature of this mosque is the large solemnly decorated Mihrab. Above the mihrab is the geometric arch pattern I had noted before, and above it is a verse from the Holy Qur’an (Al Ahzab chaper 33). Next to the mihrab is the wooden Mimbar, which looks like a more recent work. Looking at historical sketches of the mosque, the Mimbar is much taller and more decorated than the one standing today. Maybe the Mimbar was destroyed as well, or even moved somewhere else, like many Mihrabs and Mimbars around Turkey, especially those with histrical or atristic signifigance. There are curiously closed metal doors on the upper levels of the mosque, all of them have no means to access to. What are the function of these doors? I do not have any idea at all but I learned much later in an online search that the mosque was once abandoned and used as a caravanserai, so perhaps the doors were made during those times.

*The path to the House of Virgin Mary, one of the sites I visited* in Selcuk

*The cave of the seven sleepers, another site I had visited in the area.*

*The mosque across the central garden (courtesy of Wikipedia)*

Appreciation – Istanbul Pt.23 – Emir Sultan Mosque

BAD NEWS. My External HDD and my back-ups are all failing on me, so I cannot recover any of my photos at all! This is extremely frustrating as you have might expect. In the meantime I will try to repair my HDDs and see what I can recover, hopefully there will be some. So now I will be using some of the photos that I had in my phone where available – otherwise I will have to use photos from the internet. Thankfully the series will end soon in a few posts…

After visiting the Yesil Turbe and Mosque, we headed to a another nearby mosque up on a hill which is just some minutes walk away. This mosque reminds me of Eyup and Pierre Lotti in Istanbul because it is surrounded with graves and tombs – a tell tale sign that this mosque is a very important site in Bursa.

And I was not wrong. The mosque is called Emir Sultan, a 14th Century mosque rebuilt several times over time by different sultans of the Ottoman Empire. The name was taken from the son-in-law and advisor to the Ottoman Sultan, Bayezid I, and he and his family was buried here. Seeing that he was a scholar and a dervish as well as being a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, people consider him to be a holy person, and would like to be buried close to him, just like the case of Eyup Sultan Mosque (where the companion of the Prophet Muhammad, Abu Ayyub Al Ansari or Ebu Eyup in Turkish, was buried).

The mosque was small-ish but commands a very impressive view over the Bursa city. The mosque has the common Turkish style of architecture, with a fountain in the middle of a courtyard before a modest but beautiful prayer hall. There are two minarets flanking the main prayer hall, and being rebuilt last during the 19th century, when the baroque style of architecture was preferred, the mosque’s decoration and architecture reflects the taste of that period.

The main prayer hall reminds me of Yavuz Sultan Selim mosque in Istanbul, but taller. The size of the hall is almost identical. The colours of the interior are dainty and muted – light dusty blues and greys are used, offset by the bright red-purple colour of the carpet. In the center of the hall stood the very impressive marble mihrab, very characteristic of the 19th century Ottoman-baroque taste. next to it, rather strangely, is a shiny varnished wooden mimbar, perhaps a newer creation. I would expect a marble mimbar, as to complement the mihrab.

Outside in front of the entrance to the main prayer hall is the tombs of Emir Sultan and his family. The main mausoleum is a small octagonal room dressed richly in green. During my visit there are several devotees offering prayers for the Emir Sultan.

You can see actually the original building and the newer (19th century) additions and repairs. The entrance has these rough looking brick facade presumably from the original building. The south exterior wall shows the original building in contrast with the courtyard with newer plastered arches. You can see the drum under the dome is also the original masonry construction.

After soaking in the afternoon sun and looking at the beautiful view of Bursa we proceeded to go to the intercity bus station to leave for Istanbul, as the sun was setting. My friend stayed behind, leaving me to go with on with the journey by myself. The journey lasted for a little more than an hour, and when I finally got back to the hotel, it was already very dark ; it was almost 1 am!

All the photos here are from Wikipedia

*The tombs of Emir Sultan and his family.*

Appreciation – Istanbul Pt.22 – Yesil Tomb and Mosque

After visiting the Koza Han and Orhan Gazi Mosque near the city centre, we took an easy tram ride to another famous historical site in Bursa. We got our one way ticket for riding the tram and some short moments later we arrive in the complex or Kulliye in Turkish, of the Yesil Camii ve Turbe – The Green mosque and Tomb.

Bursa is also known as the Green city, and it is quite easy to see. Not only the city is full of green parks and gardens, but one of its jewel is this magnificent early Ottoman complex, which is clad in green and turquoise coloured tiles all over, inside and outside.

As with the Ulu Camii and the Orhan Gazi Mosque, the architecural style of these monuments are early Ottoman, that is the period before the conquest of Constantinople. It was built in 1421, which is 32 years before the coming of the Ottomans to Istanbul in 1453. During that time, Bursa is the capital city of the Ottoman Empire. It was built by Sultan Mehmet Celebi I, and was buried here as well, along with his immediate families, in the Yesil Turbe.

Before going to the mosque, while waiting for the next call of prayer, we went to visit the Yesil Turbe first, which is just a short uphill walk from the Yesil Camii. The tomb is absolutely magnificent. From the outside, you can admire the green-turquoise tiles cladding the walls. Some part of the tomb is also painted a dainty eggshell blue-green colour, probably done during the more recent years. Apparently the Kulliye was damaged by an earthquake in 1855 and thus most of the tiles and the painted decorations are relatively new. The tomb itself is surrounded by beautiful manicured gardens full of tall soaring trees in exquisite shades of green. There are marble seats in front of the entrance of the tombs, and there sat an elderly woman relaxing in the afternoon sun. She saw me and asked a few questions in Turkish, which by then I did not know much of. Thankfully a younger man helped me translate her questions. She seemed quite curious of me – particularly because it seems like that I stood out like a sore thumb among the Turkish visitors, and it looks as if I was there alone, even though I was there with my friend, as well as the fact that there are no tourists around during that time.

The entrance of the tomb is magnificent. The main portal is decorated heavily with green and blue monochrome tiles with floral and geometric motifs. The soaring arches both on the main door and those flanking the entrance was also decorated with tiled muqarnas. Inside, the tombs expecially the sarcophagi and the Mihrab of the tomb are richly decorated with the same tiles you can see outside the door. The Mihrab (which I imagine only as a representation, not for praying) has an image of a mosque lamp hung between two pillars, which is a common motif in Turkey whether in Mihrabs or even prayer mats. The mihrab, also decorated with muqarnas like the portal outside, but here the muqarnas are gilded, so they gleam from the light coming straight the entrance. One rather unique feature I see in Turkish mosque is that unlike many other mosques around the world, calligraphy works featuring the excerpts of the Prophetic tradition (Hadith) are used as decorations, while most mosques I had seen only used excerpts from the Quran. In this tomb, the Mihrab is decorated with a calligraphy of the Prophetic tradition, although an excerpt of the Quran is also featured. The dome of the tomb is a simple affair ; a painted typical Ottoman decoration in muted salmon colored tones.

After paying a visit to the tomb, we went directly to the mosque just in time for a communal prayer. The mosque is small but amazing, like a delicate jewel box. On the outside, focal points of the mosque like the main portal and the windows are heavily decorated in carvings. The door features a magnificent muqarnas work carved onto the marble facade. A complicated calligraphic panel in green and gold is displayed above the main door. the colour stood out from the marble facade. Inside, just like the Green Tomb, the lower half of the mosque is full of richly coloured tiles in blue and green. As you entered you will find the two sides of the entrance clad with green tiles with intricate floral motif medallions. In the middle you will find a fountain – a beautifully carved eight sided marble fountain with an intricately carved spout. On either side, there are smaller halls again covered with glossy, deep coloured tiles augmented with golden floral medals. with calligraphy running along the rooms like a dado. Again curiously a Hadith is chosen for the work, and I can read it perfectly well as it was not complicated at all. There were also side rooms with curious alcoves off the main prayer hall but I did not linger long as I felt like I was trespassing. There was absolutely no one there, although the rooms are wonderfully lit like candles are placed inside them. I assume they are also rooms for prayers as there are also a mihrab like shaped alcove, although it also looked like the traditional Turkish fireplace. In the main prayer hall itself, you view is dominated by the extremely impressive mihrab – a tall fully tiled artwork reaching almost up to the ceiling. The niche in the mihrab reminds me of the portal to the Yesil Turbe, only in a slimmer form in a way. The half dome topping the niche looks similar with he one in the green tomb, and from the half dome cascades the shapes of the muqarnas like water flowing from a spring well. Looking back from the mihrab you can see not one but two Muezzin Mahfilis flaking the entrance. Unlike other Ottoman mosques which have their Muezzin Mahfili a free standing structure near the middle of the prayer hall, this mosque have them inside two niches. Inside them is a real jewel box – the room is fully covered with these deep cobalt tiles. I think the shape of these niches also helped with the acoustics of the mosque. When I entered the Muezzin was just calling the Iqamat from one of these niches, and he sounded very loud, as if he was using a loudspeaker. His voice reverb all throughout the mosque very clearly. Above the main door is another niche, which I presume to be the Hunkar Mahfili, the room where the Sultan would perform his prayers. I cannot reach the niche-room because I have no idea how to get there. You can see a balcony for the Hunkar Mahfili and you can imagine a sultan would look over the congregation from this balcony. You can also see two small windows on either side of the balcony above the Muezzin Mahfilis. It seems that this provided a shaded view of the main prayer hall from the entrance to the Hunkar Mahfili.

This complex i s a must visit when you have the chance to visit Bursa, and even if you are not interested at all with Islamic art and architecture. The sheer beauty of the artistic work put into these buildings, couple with the calm and serene gardens around the complex, makes it such a special place in the city.