Suleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey - Essay Example

SULEYMANIYE MOSQUE, ISTANBUL TURKEY: , ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE Introduction , Islamic architecture is expressed through the splendor of building designs, decorative structural patterns, building embellishments, colors, and furniture styles. Most of these are depicted in well-to-do Islamic Mosques'. Spectators for structural designs however, are not aware that Islamic architecture actually emerged as a consequence of the combination of diverse artistic influences from an assortment of cultures. Chances are high that most young men and women, especially those who are studying to learn more of Mosque structural designs will have to go over the records of the past, similar to the history of Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. Body Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey concretely shows evidence of the magnificence, magnitude, and depth of the Islamic architecture. The edifice was the 7 years masterpiece work led by the Ottoman engineer, Mimar Sinan in the year 1550 to 1557. Mimar Sinan studied with great interest one of the model edifices, the Hagia Sophia Church. Hagia Sophia Church is the Byzantine church of Divine Wisdom which was used by the Ottomans as prayer house at the onset of occupancy in Turkey (Jackh, 1952; Turkey, 2006). However, the Dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem constructed in 643 apparently set the primary standards of subsequent Mosque architectures in the Islamic sphere of influence (Hitchcock, Lloyd, Rice, Lynton, Boyd, and Carden, 1963). Departing from the four sided building of the Kaaba which was constructed by Abraham and Ysmael, peace is upon them, the Dome of the Rock Mosque is shape in a rotunda (Hitchcock et al., 1963) on top of the hill. Source: Title: World Architecture: An Illustrated History; Publisher: McGraw-Hill; Publication Date: 1963; Page No: 149 (Hitchcock et al., 1963). Source: Title: World Architecture: An Illustrated History; Publisher: McGraw-Hill; Publication Date: 1963; Page No: 149 (Hitchcock et al., 1963). During the Ottoman reign over Turkey, from 1288 to 1923, the organized sultanate took over properties which were left behind by the Byzantine monarchs. A few of these are the buildings with its arts and architecture. The structures as well as the adornments very well portrayed influences not only of Byzantine art but also from the Seljuk Turks. The Seljuks' ruled Turkey from 1071 to the 1300th's. The Seljuks' introduced some arts and architectural designs they must have picked up from Persia and Anatolia. Although some of the structures were refurbished from one set of colonizer to the next, some served as models for the construction of buildings that were called Ottoman Mosques (Hitchcock et al., 1963). Suleymaniye imperial Mosque is one of the legendary architectural model output that exist up to date. The Mosque was named after Suleiman the sultan of the era. The structure was adorned with 4 very prominent external minarets, dome shape roof, the prayer hall, iwan, sahn, and garden (Essential Architecture, Asia-West, 2009). The floor plan reveals a square architectural structure (Hitchcock et al., 1963). Source: Essential Architecture, Asia-West, 2009 Source: Title: World Architecture: An Illustrated History; Publisher: McGraw- Hill; Publication Date: 1963; Page No: 162 (Hitchcock et al., 1963). The Edifice sits over a hill, overlooking the bay of turkey with 2 pairs of tall circular minarets (Hitchcock et al., 1963), and 10 verandas visible at a certain distance (Turkey, 2006). Source: Essential Architecture, Asia-West, 2009 Source: Title: World Architecture: An Illustrated History; Publisher: McGraw-Hill; Publication; Date: 1963; Page No: 162 (Hitchcock et al., 1963) Seemingly, the 4 tall circular minarets (Hitchcock et al., 1963) serve also as guide for seafarers to easily locate the Mosque. But, in Islam, actually the towering minarets are the platforms for the Muezzin to stand on and be heard by the majority of believers during the azan and iqamat. This is in line with the words of the prophet, salalahu allehi wassalam that "all the earth has been rendered for Muslims, a Mosque" (Saqib, 1993). So, wherever the believer maybe, after hearing the azan and iqamat, it is obligatory for the believer to perform the specific salat. Source: Title: World Architecture: An Illustrated History; Publisher: McGraw-Hill; Publication Date: 1963; Page No: 152 (Hitchcock et al., 1963) One very large central dome shaped roof, about 53 meters from the floor (Turkey, 2006), caps the core of the prayer hall. This is surrounded by four smaller domes, about half the size of the central domes. Additionally, these are encircled by smaller domes. The large central dome is supported by four exceptionally gigantic triangular arching pillars. The sides of the pillars are faintly ridged and covered with prismatic stalactites to refract light and create an 'ornamental drama' (Hitchcock et al., 1963). This , Islamic architecture of the Suleymaniye imperial Mosque incorporates a wide range of lay and sacred designs. This dome is a classic copy of the Hagia Sophia Church (Jackh, 1952; Turkey, 2006; Essential Architecture, Asia-West, 2009; Getty Images, 2009). The floor plan of the Suleymaniye imperial Mosque was square (Hitchcock et al., 1963), which was approximately 3,420 m2 (Turkey, 2006). So, the area roofed with a dome was trimmed down into a polygon of eight angles with corresponding eight sides using interconnected semicircle that are provided with inner corbels (Hitchcock et al., 1963). Source: Title: World Architecture: An Illustrated History; Publisher: McGraw-Hill; Publication Date: 1963; Page No: 161 (Hitchcock et al., 1963) Source: Title: World Architecture: An Illustrated History; Publisher: McGraw-Hill; Publication Date: 1963; Page No: 161 (Hitchcock et al., 1963) A closer view of the external side of the dome would reveal hundreds of small rectangular blocks creating a smooth glass-like surface making the structure very visible at a certain distance, somehow looking glamorous for a gold crown. Source: Alaturkaturkey, 2009 Source: Getty Images, 2009 The internal view of the mosque would reveal the vast Arabesques' calligraphy of quotations from the Qur'an. This is done in a rainbow of paint colors and materials at the core, apparently of Persian influence (Hitchcock et al., 1963). Varied floral designs are also hand-painted on the sides of the dome to camouflage about 138 open windows (Turkey, 2006). The dome alone is supported by archway pillars (Essential Architecture, 2009). The pillars are made up of feldspar crystals fixed and packed together with fine grained base materials. The two pillars were known to have been crafted in Alexandria, Egypt. Conversely, the other pair was collected from a palace and a church in Istanbul (Turkey, 2006). Source: Essential Architecture, 2009 Right below the dome is the prayer hall, matted with marble tiles, enhanced by a large and colorful prayer carpet. Obviously, this area is facing Makka. It is also clear that besides the Arabesques' calligraphy, the arching pillars, and the lightings, large windows with colored glass panes are provided to illumine the prayer hall. There are no images within the perimeter of the hall. But, a characteristic pulpit stands by the place where the imam or the leader of the prayer stands to deliver the qutba (Jackh, 1952). Unlike the Hagia Sophia church, tombs and images of angels and saints were not constructed on the spot. This is because Islam forbids performance of salat in front of tombs or images, and the Mosque serves the sole purpose of community prayers (Saqib, 1993). Source: Essential Architecture, 2009 Another important part of the Suleymaniye imperial Mosque is the patio. This particular area is located at the back yard of the Mosque. The area contains the bathrooms and faucets of clean flowing water which provide worshippers the opportunity to perform proper abdas prior to their entrance to the prayer hall through the iwan (Alaturkaturkey, 2009). The iwan is the main entry structure leading to the prayer hall. This is the area where the worshippers leave their footwear (Saqib, 1993). It is marked by a pair of arching door frames. Conclusion Despite the expressiveness of architectural designs of Islamic Mosque, influenced largely by the Eastern Christians and the Sassanians (Jackh, 1952) as exemplified by the Suleymaniye imperial Mosque, extra care must be taken in its structural design. This is to avoid the suggestions of idol worship which is prohibited in the Islamic faith. Every Muslim believer know that the Qur'an is very clear with the first design of a Mosque exemplified by the Kaaba which was constructed by Abraham and his son Ysmael, peace be upon them, under the guidance of Allah. References Hitchcock, H. R., Lloyd, S., Rice, D. T., Lynton, N., Boyd, A., Carden, A., et al. (1963). World Architecture: An Illustrated History. New York: McGraw-Hill. Jackh, E. (1952). Background of the Middle East. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University. Saqib, M.A.K. (1993) A Guide To Prayer In Islam. Madinah, K. S. A. : International Islamic Publishing House. Websites Alaturkaturkey. http://www.alaturkaturkey.com/index.phpview=turkey-istanbul-sights-and-attractions-suleymaniye-mosque 6/8/09. Essential Architecture Asia-West. http://www.essential-architecture.com/ASIA-WEST/WA-TU/istanbul/WA-TU-IST-002.htm rets: 6/8/09. Essential Architecture. http://www.essential-architecture.com/TYPE/TYPE-mosque.htm rets: 6/8/09. Getty Images. http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/73025730/Panoramic-Images rets: 6/8/09. Turkey. (2006). http://www.aboutturkey.com/turkey/City_Guides/Istanbul_Turkey/Suleymaniye_mosque.shtml rets: 6/8/09. Read More