One of the great creations of the glorious era of the house Ottomans.

güzel ülkemin güzellikleriyle büyüleyici camilerinden

Love islam

good shot
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www.arrayahpictures.blogspot.com

Istanbul blue mosque. After the Peace of Zsitvatorok and the unfavourable result of the wars with Persia, Sultan Ahmed I decided to build a large mosque in Istanbul to placate Allah. This would be the first imperial mosque in more than forty years. Whereas his predecessors had paid for their mosques with their war booty, Sultan Ahmed I had to withdraw the funds from the treasury, because he had not won any notable victories. This provoked the anger of the ulema, the Muslim legal scholars.

The mosque was to be built on the site of the palace of the Byzantine emperors, facing the Hagia Sophia (at that time the most venerated mosque in Istanbul) and the hippodrome, a site of great symbolic significance. Large parts of the southern side of the mosque rest on the foundations, the vaults and the undercrofts of the Great Palace. Several palaces, already built on the same spot, had to be bought (at considerable price) and pulled down, especially the palace of Sokollu Mehmet PaÅŸa, and large parts of the Sphendone (curved tribune with U-shaped structure of the hippodrome).

Construction of the mosque started in August 1609 when the sultan himself came to break the first sod. It was his intention that this would become the first mosque of his empire. He appointed his royal architect Sedefhar Mehmet Ağa, a pupil and senior assistant of the famous architect Sinan as the architect in charge of the construction. The organization of the work was described in meticulous detail in eight volumes, now in the library of the Topkapı Palace. The opening ceremonies were held in 1617 (although the gate of the mosque records 1616) and the sultan was able to pray in the royal box (hünkâr mahfil). The building was not yet finished in this last year of his reign, as the last accounts were signed by his successor Mustafa I. Known as the Blue Mosque, Sultan Ahmet Mosque is one of the most impressive monuments in the world. It is one of the elements included in the complex built by Ahmed I to compete with Ayasofya.

no this is the sultan ahmet mosque (blue mosque) not a ex-cristian cathedral which is the hajia sofia opposite the blue mosque.

Blue mosque From the Ottaman empire.But Constantanople is the Heart of the Christian Byzantine empire

This is Sultanahmet Camii (mosque). During the rule of Ahmed I, Sultan Ahmet mosque was built between 1609 and 1616 CE. Designed by architect Sedefkar Mehmet Aga, the Sultan Ahmet Mosque is considered to be the last example of classical Ottoman architecture. Aya Sofya Camii (Hagia Sofia ) is neighboring mosque to Sultanahmet Camii.

Hagia Sophia (Turkish: Ayasofya, Greek: Αγία Σοφία; "Sacred Wisdom", Latin: Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia) is a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. It was the largest cathedral ever built in the world for nearly a thousand years, until the completion of the Seville Cathedral in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between A.D. 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, and was in fact the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site (the previous two had both been destroyed by riots). It was designed by two architects, Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. The Church contained a large collection of holy relics and featured, among other things, a 50 foot (15 m) silver iconostasis. It was the patriarchal church of the Patriarch of Constantinople and the religious focal point of the Eastern Orthodox Church for nearly 1000 years.
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia

no this is the other one called blue mosque or sultanahmet... the one you are talking about is hagia sophia... it is pretty beatiful too. but this mosq was build in sixteen or seventeen century.

It was built by the Byzantin Empire as a Christian Cathedral.

After the fall of the Byzantin Empire, the conquerer, the Otoman Empire, transformed the Christian Sofia Cathedral in Haja Sofia Muslim Cathedral.

You can still find elements of Christian arhitecure, but 90% of the elements are a great exemple of old muslim arhitecture.

this is a mosque, where muslims pray. it's in Istanbul, turkey.

its not a mosque, its christian cathedral

thts how it was built n thts how it will alweys be in the hearts of all christians

architects of ancient times really amaze me. good shot!!!

istanbulun tarihi havas%u0131n%u0131 yans%u0131tm%u0131%u015F bence süper bi çal%u0131%u015Fma...