The Selimiye Mosque located in Edirne, Turkey has stood for over 400 years as a place of Islamic practice. The mosque has had some changes, but it still remains a functioning mosque for the people of Edirne. Commissioned by Sultan Selim II, Selimiye was constructed by famous architect Mimar Sinan and completed in 1574. Selimiye was constructed during the middle of the Ottoman Dynasty and remains a structure that highlights not only Ottoman architecture, but Islamic architecture.
The Ottoman Empire has a long history spanning over 600 years. The Turks were first uprooted from their home in Central Asian and relocated to Western Anatolia. Originally the Turks were a nomadic tribe living on the prairie. Osman Gazi ben Ertugrul or Osman I, a
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(Figure 2) This complex included minarets that towered to the sky; the first objects seen from afar. The use of elaborate domes and half domes throughout the whole complex generates movement to the mosque from the exterior and interior. The windows allow for light on the inside, but also added to the exterior surface with various round arch windows. The complex encompasses various different elements such as the madrasa which was once an Islamic School now converted into a museum of Turkish and Islamic Art of Edirne. (Figure 3) Madrasa means the school of the Prophet. Here they would teach about religious law and Islamic theology. The complex also had a library for the madrasa to use and was typically attached to a mosque. Another aspect of the complex was the covered bazaar along the whole side of the mosque. Bazaars’ have a long history in the Ottoman Empire as being places of trade. The bazaar would be a market for people to come and shop. (Figure 3) Inside the walls there are several open areas and toward the mosque a central courtyard. (Figure 3) This central courtyard is important as a place of ablution and purification before entering the prayer hall. In the central courtyard there is a reservoir that allows for the purification (wudu) before salat (prayer). The architectural details of this complex are similar to the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, which also had a focus on various sized domes, pendentive structures and tall
The Ottoman Empire was a large empire that lasted for several hundred years. They were primarily Sunni Muslims and they were led by the Sultan. Over time, they had a long decline, mostly because they hadn’t progressed with the times. France and Britain were getting very involved with their affairs in Egypt. By the late 1800’s most of the Ottoman Empire was gone. During World War One (WWI), in 1916, the Arabs helped Great Britain to defeat the Ottoman Empire. In 1918 the Ottomans surrendered and their empire was dissolved. When mandates were established it caused nationalist ro revolt. General Mustafa
In the following essay, I will be comparing the Hagia Sophia in the City of Istanbul, and the Suleymaniye Mosque of Istanbul. Both of these pieces of art are very significant to the in modern-day Turkey. The art pieces will be covered in more detail further on in this comparative essay, and finally, I will be judging the pieces at the end of this essay
Ettinghausen, Richard, Oleg Grabar, and Sheila Blair. The art and architecture of Islam 650-1250. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, 1987.
For example, mosques and other praying sites always faced Mecca. The qibla in the Great Mosque of Cordoba is an exception because it faces Baghdad however, praying sites in the gardens of the Alcazar in Granada do face Mecca. Despite that difference, the mosque in Granada has a rectangular shape and is divided into a courtyard and the praying hall just like most mosques which derive their shape from Muhammad’s home. “The courtyard was an integral part of the Mosque, for it contained the fountains for washing the face, hands, and feet for the ritual purification before prayer.” (Burckhardt 10) and the minaret which brought cities together at the time of prayer. This standardized layout across the Islamic world provides a unifying structure for its people and the
The Ottoman Empire were Muslims and included Hungary, Syria, Egypt, Bulgaria, and Albania, and they marched on land. The Ottoman Empire is said to have first appeared somewhere around the 1300’s, and can be related to the decline of the Byzantine Empire. They began conquering Christian lands and by the late 1600’s all Christians were afraid of the “terrible Turk”. It is no wonder that many other people were afraid of the Ottoman Empire since they seem to be really rather powerful and they conquered a lot of land. It was in the 1330’s when the Morroccan Abu Abdallah Ibn Battuta passed through Constantinople and became impressed with the Ottomans who seemed to be gaining power rather quickly, he noticed that they had close to 100 forts and
The Ottoman Empire was one of the Muslim empires. It was an empire that ruled large areas of Europe, Asia, and Africa. The ruler of Ottoman was called a sultan. The Ottoman Empire was greatly expanded by the Ottoman army. Freedom of women was limited in the Ottoman society. The women lived separately from the men in an area of household called a harem. The Ottoman empire did not consist entirely of Muslims, but with Christians and Jews as well.
Between 1301 to 1922, in the region north of present day Syria, was known as the Ottoman empire. It was rooted in the belief that Islam as an ideology should be in power. One territory held by the Ottoman empire was their homeland of Turkey. In 1907, the Sultan Abdul Hamid II, wanted for the most part to have people who were educated outside of the country limited in what they could do, and if not then they were expunged, as he thought that they were the cause of his land’s plight and decline. This resulted in him becoming very unpopular with his people, thus having many secret societies created practically under his nose. The most important being The Young Turks.
The general structure of the Suleymaniye mosque mirrors that of many Islamic mosques, but Sinan's work shows that it can remain a unique piece of architecture. The mosque is designed around a central axis. The length is running from north to south while the width spans east to west. This is appropriate for the purpose of the building, where Muslims must face the cardinal direction of Mecca during prayer (Freely 124). Sinan further emphasizes the north and south direction by place two short pillars on the north end and two taller ones on the south end (see Image 2) (Nelipoglu 212). Looking at the plan of the Suleymaniye we see a definite presence of geometry (see Image 3). The mosque is made up of spherical and rectangular shapes, as well as series of arches along the facades. The main, central dome is further magnified by the surrounding half domes. This draws the attention towards the center (Goodwin 35). The dome becomes the spiritual focus, representing God's "unity without distinctions" (Freely 128). Sinan focused on a harmonious connection of the dome to the rest of the mosque to further emphasize its spiritual representation (Cansever 65). Sinan also strived for the Islamic belief of uninterrupted space between man and God. In his floorplan (see Image 3), he works to build the interior space with few obstructions as possible. Any existing obstruction was placed so that its transition was experienced gradually.
The Ottoman empire began in the 1300’s in what is now called western Turkey. By the 1400’s, it reached across North Africa, present day Turkey, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Eastern Europe, and southern Spain by expanding it’s political, religious, and economic power through conquests. The Safavid Empire was discovered by a mystical Islamic religious order’s military campaign to reunite the Persian Empire. The Empire also, housed present day Iran and a lot of Afghanistan. An it included a cultural and trading center. The last Empire was the Mughul Empire of northern India, known for its gunpowder just like the other two empires. They’re also known for their huge trade caravans and almost obliterating the Indian Ocean and South China Sea trade lines. The merchants of Mughul were the main source for carpets, fine cloth, pepper, and sugar. They were also one of the main sources of sugar throughout the world, before development by Europeans of its sugar colonies in Brazil and the West
The Ottoman Empire was one of the longest and most powerful empires in the World that lasted six centuries. The empire was established by Osman I as a small but powerful state in present-day Turkey in the late 1200s and grew into a vast empire whose territories covered lands in Asia Minor, North Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe as far as modern-day Czech Republic. The Empire was strategically divided into a central and provincial government. The Ottomans established a bureaucracy through which the sultan, the supreme leader and his council made key decisions, maintained absolute power and controlled of the administrative, military and economic affairs of the empire. This system enabled the Sultan to appoint provincial and religious who ensured that
Chambers, Richard L. "History of the Ottoman Empire - Decline and Fall." Turkey Travel Guide. The University of Chicago, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
Each of the buildings is individual yet connected by covered walkways known by all who enter here as bridges'. The Islamic Center community building holds cl...
Islamic art and architecture is a blend from three or more different cultural traditions from the east. The Arab, Turkish, and Persian traditions are three such traditions that were adopted into the Islamic art and architecture design. The best expressions of Islamic art and architecture are found in Muslim mosques. The mosque serves as a place where Muslims can come together for prayer of Islam. Mosques are also a center for information, education, and dispute settlement. One of the most famous mosques of the Islamic art is the Great Mosque of Samarra in preset day Iraq. The Great Mosque of Samarra also has a spiral staircase on the outside of it.
A mosque is generally a very symbolic place for a Muslim, being a humble way for Muslims to recreate pure divine presence on earth. The primary purpose of the mosque is to serve as a place where Muslims can come together for prayer. Nevertheless, mosques are known around the world nowadays for their Islamic architecture but most importantly for its general vitality to the Muslim Ummah (community).
The city of Istanbul was originally known as Constantinople back in the time of the Byzantine Empire Days. Then, in 1453, Constantinople became part of Ottoman Empire and over the years, the name of the city was changed to Istanbul. Since both empires occupied Istanbul at one point, its leaders brought over many rich and diverse cultures, ideas, and many architectural designs. This beautiful city is separated by the Bosphorus Strait which is the main waterway connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, that separates Europe from Asia.