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Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque)
The cascading domes and six slender
minarets of the Sultanahmet Mosque (better
known as the "Blue Mosque") dominate the
skyline of Istanbul. In the 17th century, Sultan Ahmet I
wished to build an Islamic place of worship that would be
even better than the Hagia Sophia, and the mosque named for
him is the result. The two great architectural achievements
now stand next to each other in Istanbul's main square, and
it is up to visitors to decide which is more impressive.
The Blue Mosque was commissioned by Sultan Ahmet
I when he was only 19 years old. It was built near
the Hagia Sophia, over the site of the ancient hippodrome
and Byzantine imperial palace (whose mosaics can be seen in
the nearby Mosaic Museum). Construction work began in
1609 and took seven years.
The mosque was designed by architect Mehmet Aga,
whose unfortunate predecessor was found wanting and
executed. Sultan Ahmet was so anxious for his magnificent
creation to be completed that he often assisted in the work.
Sadly, he died just a year after the completion of his
masterpiece, at the age of 27. He is buried outside the
mosque with his wife and three sons.
The original mosque complex included a madrasa, a
hospital, a han, a primary school, a market, an imaret and
the tomb of the founder. Most of these buildings were torn
down in the 19th century.
Hagia Sophia,Istanbul
The Church of the Holy Wisdom,
known as Hagia Sophia (Άγια Σοφία)
in Greek, Sancta Sophia in Latin, and
Ayasofya or Aya Sofya in Turkish, is
a former Byzantine church and former Ottoman mosque in
Istanbul. Now a museum, Hagia Sophia is universally
acknowledged as one of the great buildings of the world.
Unfortunately nothing remains of the original Hagia
Sophia, which was built on this site in the fourth century
by Constantine the Great. Constantine was
the first Christian emperor and the founder of the city of
Constantinople, which he called "the New Rome." The Hagia
Sophia was one of several great churches he built in
important cities throughout his empire.
Following the destruction of Constantine's church, a
second was built by his son Constantius and the emperor
Theodosius the Great. This second church was burned down
during the Nika riots of 532, though fragments of it have
been excavated and can be seen today.
Hagia Sophia was rebuilt in her present form between 532
and 537 under the personal supervision of Emperor
Justinian I.
It is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine
architecture, rich with mosaics and marble pillars and
coverings. After completion, Justinian is said to have
exclaimed, Νενίκηκά σε Σολομών ("Solomon, I have outdone
thee!").
The architects of the church were Isidore of Miletus and
Anthemius of Tralles, who were professors of geometry at the
University of Constantinople. Their work was a technical
triumph, even though the structure was severely damaged
several times by earthquakes. The original
dome collapsed after an earthquake in 558 and its
replacement fell in 563. Steps were taken to better secure
the dome, but there were additional partial collapses in 989
and 1346.
The Church of St Savior in Chora
The Church of St. Savior in Chora (Turkish
Kariye Müzesi, Kariye Camii, or Kariye
Kilisesi — the Chora Museum, Mosque or Church) is
considered to be one of the most beautiful examples of a
Byzantine church.The church is situated in the western,
Edirnekapı district of Istanbul. In the 16th century, the
church was converted into a mosque by the Ottoman rulers,
and it became a secularised museum in 1948. The interior of
the building is covered with fine mosaics and frescoes.
The majority of the fabric of the current building dates
from 1077–1081, when Maria Dukaina, the mother-in-law of
Alexius I Comnenus, rebuilt the Chora Church as an inscribed
cross or quincunx: a popular architectural style of the
time. Early in the 12th century, the church suffered a
partial collapse, perhaps due to an earthquake. The church
was rebuilt by Isaac Comnenus, Alexius's third son. However,
it was only after the third phase of building, two centuries
after, that the church as it stands today was completed. The
powerful Byzantine statesman Theodore Metochites endowed the
church with much of its fine mosaics and frescos. Theodore's
impressive decoration of the interior was carried out
between 1315 and 1321. The mosaic-work is the finest example
of the Palaeologian Renaissance. The artists remain unknown.
In 1328, Theodore was sent into exile by the usurper
Andronicus III Palaeologus. However, he was allowed to
return to the city two years later, and lived out the last
two years of his life as a monk in his Chora Church.
During the last siege of Constantinople in 1453, the Icon
of the Theotokos Hodegetria, considered the protector of the
City, was brought to Chora in order to assist the defenders
against the assault of the Ottomans
Around fifty years after the fall of the city to the
Ottomans, Atık Ali Paşa, the Grand Vizier of Sultan Bayezid
II, ordered the Chora Church to be converted into a mosque —
Kariye Camii. Due to the prohibition against iconic
images in Islam, the mosaics and frescoes were covered
behind a layer of plaster. This and frequent earthquakes in
the region have taken their toll on the artwork.
In 1948, Thomas Whittemore and Paul A. Underwood, from
the Byzantine Institute of America and the Dumbarton Oaks
Center for Byzantine Studies, sponsored a programme of
restoration. From that time on, the building ceased to be a
functioning mosque. In 1958, it was opened to the public as
a museum
For information and contact e-mail.info@turkeyephesustour.com
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