The Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii), a historical mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, is known as the Blue Mosque because of blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design, built between 1609 and 1616 years, during the rule of Ahmed I, comprising a tomb of the founder, a Madrasa-a place for learning and studying-and a hospice. Pope Benedict XVI visited the Sultan Ahmed Mosque on 30 November 2006 during his visit to Turkey, marking the second papal visit in history to a Muslim place of worship. The pontiff “thanked divine Providence for this” and said, “May all believers identify themselves with the one God and bear witness to true brotherhood.” The most important element in the interior of the mosque is the mihrab, made of finely carved and sculptured marble, with a stalactite niche and a double inscriptive panel above it, surrounded by many windows. Mihrab (Arabic: محراب miḥrāb, pl. محاريب maḥārīb) is a semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla; that is, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and hence the direction that Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a mihrab appears is thus the qibla wall. HOW TO VISIT THE BLUE MOSQUE? 1) Best way to see great architecture of the Blue Mosque is to approach it from the Hippodrome (west side of the mosque). If you are non-Muslim visitor, you must use the same direction to enter the Mosque. 2) Better arrive mid morning. The mosque closes for 90 minutes at each pray time-this happens five times a day with the first call to prayer at sunrise and the last one at nightfall. Avoid visiting a mosque at pray time (Especially Midday praying on Friday) or within a half hour after the ezan is chanted from the Mosque minarets. 3) Before step in to Mosque, take off your shoes and put in plastic bags provided at the entrance, as part of Muslim tradition when entering a mosque. 4) For women, wear a head covering when entering to Blue Mosque. Head coverings are available at the Blue Mosque entrance for free. Place the fabric cover on top of your head with equal portions hanging on both sides. Take one side and wrap it around your neck, tossing it behind your back with covering your shoulders. Dont cover your face, the covering is meant to hide your hair only.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 22:33:36 +0000
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