Pray to Allah at the Blue Mosque
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque better known as the Blue Mosque is the national mosque of Turkey. It was built during the rule of Ahmed I between 1609 and 1616 and contains the tomb of the founder as well as a madrasah (Islamic school) and a hospice. In the upper part of the court entrance hangs a heavy iron chain. Since the emperor was the only person allowed to enter the mosque on horseback, the chain was installed forcing him to lower his head when he entered as a symbolic gesture of humility in the presence of Allah.
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The interior of the mosque is lined with over 20,000 handmade tiles. The tiles in the back balcony came from the harem at Topkapi Palace after it was damaged by fire in 1574. It is rumoured that the Sultan was criticized for building six minarets –the same number as the mosque of the Ka’aba in Mecca so the Sultan paid for a seventh to be constructed at the Ka’aba. But in truth Mecca already had 7 minarets.
In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI visited the mosque marking the second papal visit in history to a Muslim place of worship. The Pope removed his shoes and conducted a silent prayer as he faced Mecca. Perhaps he and Mustafa Çağrıcı, the Imam of the Blue Mosque, helped to set the tone for religious tolerance in the world. We certainly need that. It was our first time in a mosque, so Carolyn and I had a little to learn about proper mosque etiquette. The locals kindly informed us of the rules which included removing our shoes and, if you are a woman, wearing a long skirt and covering your hair. To accommodate for tourists, the mosque kindly provided hooded robes for us to wear. Dressed like recruits of the Klan, we entered the mosque in wide-eyed amazement gazing at the intricate craftsmanship and enormity of the building. The mosque was a place for people to pray, children play and others to enjoy the day. Hand painted tiles adorned the walls and lovely mosaics decorated the ceiling, which was high enough to bungee jump from. |
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Separated into three sections, the women prayed in a tiny section at the back, the tourists roamed through the middle while the men prayed in a huge beautiful area at the front. This seemed to be a theme throughout Istanbul – the men not only got the more elaborate section of the mosques, they also got the nicer Turkish baths and public bathrooms.
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The Call to Prayer
Allah is most great, Allah is most great; Allah is most great, Allah is most great. I testify that there is no god but Allah; I testify that there is no god but Allah. I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah; I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. Come to prayer! Come to prayer! Come to salvation! Come to salvation! Allah is most great! Allah is most great! There is no god but Allah. The call to prayer (Adhan) is called out by the muezzin five times a day in the mosque and sometimes from a minaret and broadcast over loudspeakers throughout the town. It is sung in Arabic because that was the language of Muhammad and considered to be the sacred language of Islam. Interesting Fact In 1923 reforms in Turkey allowed people to practice their faith in their native language as so they could understand what they were praying about. What a novel idea! Even the call to prayer was sung in Turkish. This practice continuedfor 18 years until a new government was sworn in declaring Arabic the sacred language of Islam and converting the call to prayer back to Arabic. |
Teresa the Traveler and her buddy Carolyn in front of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul
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For tips on visiting Turkey CLICK HERE
For tips on visiting the Middle East CLICK HERE
For general travel tips on what to pack and how to plan ahead CLICK HERE
For tips on travelling on a budget CLICK HERE
For tips on visiting the Middle East CLICK HERE
For general travel tips on what to pack and how to plan ahead CLICK HERE
For tips on travelling on a budget CLICK HERE
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Where I Stayed...
Hotel Arcadia Istanbul,Turkey Dr.Imran Oktem Caddesi No:1 Sultanahmet 34400 Istanbul Tel: 90-212-519 96 96 Website: www.hotelarcadiaistanbul.com Email: [email protected] Hotel Hali Klodfarer Caddesi No:20 Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey Tel: 0090. 212. 5162170 Website: www.halihotel.com Email: [email protected] |
