It has many beautiful features; the prayer niche is made of decoratively carved marble, the wooden door, shutters and low reading table are inlaid with mother of pearl, striking chandeliers hang from the dome. These are just a few of the things worth seeing in the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. Another of the structures of the complex is Hünkar chamber of the sovereign. It was designed as a place for the sultans to rest before or after performing his prayers and was the first structure of its type to be built in the environs of a mosque.
This is one of the patterns in the mosque:
The most striking feature of other tiled decorations like this one is a band of inscription in reserve white over a dark blue back ground around the interior.
The primary school is attached to the wall of the inner courtyard of the mosque. There is a fountain and shops on the ground floor of the school and classrooms on the top floor. The last structure on the kiblah side is an "arasta" - a row of shops of the same trade-. A section of the arasta was destroyed by fire in 1912, but the remaining parts contain the mosaic museum and souvenir shop.
The hospital and kitchen were built some distance from the mosque. In their original state, they would have been separated from the square by shops in front. The buildings, which are constructed after the 1894 earthquake and now house the dean of Marmara University, completely severed the ties between the hospital and soup kitchen and the other parts of the complex. The hospital and soup kitchen, which are found on Sokullu Mehmed Pacha Yokusu, are used today by the Sultan Ahmed Technical High School.
Three of the complex’s four fountains are still standing today. One is in the "arasta,” another at the entrance of the outer courtyard and the third in the area of the mauso.
This mosque, like most local mosques, has many main parts, which are listed and explained below:
Dome: The dome symbolizes the universe that Allah created, and the universe that He rules. Quite a few mosques have four minarets and a dome. These have been said to represent the five pillars of Islam. The blue mosque has loads of domes, more than four, which are all different sizes and are there for many different reasons. The main dome of the mosque is 34 meters in diameter, rises to a height of 43 meters above ground level and rests upon four massive pillars five meters in diameter. Four half-domes also support the main dome. The mosque is five stories high from ground level to the top of the dome. The central dome rests on four pointed arches with corner pendentives, which are in turn set upon four large round and fluted piers, 1.60 m in diameter. Four semi-domes, one to each side of the central dome, and small cupolas in the corners complete the roof-system of the mosque. The dome is very useful in a mosque. It is said to allow the air in the mosque to circulate and it amplifies (strengthens) the human voice. In hot countries, (mainly) the circulation of the air helps the worshippers concentrate on the prayer and the amplification helps to strengthen the voice. In this way, the voice is made louder so that the worshippers can hear the sermon. Most mosques have a dome that is decorated beautifully on the inside and outside. The blue mosque has decorations in blue, its main colour, which is where it gets it name. One of The beliefs of islam are that the mosque should not be made of expensive materials because the extra money could go to the poor and needy, but this doesn’t mean that they should be plain and simple.
Minaret: The Sultan Ahmet Mosque is very different from the other mosques in Istanbul because of its six minarets. Four of its six minarets form a part of the mosque and have three galleries, while the remaining two, rise from the corners of the courtyard and have two galleries each. Four of these have three balconies; two have two balconies each, 16 in all. In Muslim countries, the mu’adhdhin (muezzin) calls the believers to prayer five times a day from the minaret of the mosque. He stands facing the Ka’bah in Makkah. Sometimes, the call to prayer is not live. Instead, it is recorded and played during prayer times, through loud speakers. The call to prayer, which is called the ‘Adhan’ in Arabic, is recited in Arabic and begins with, ‘Allahu Akbar’, ‘Allah is the Greatest’. At Fajr prayer, early in the morning, the Adhan has the words, ‘prayer is better than sleep’. A lot of non-muslims visit Muslim countries and when they hear the Adhan, it leaves them feeling very moved by the words. The words are usually heard all over the Muslim countries, especially if they are coming from a big mosque. They echo over rooftops and linger in the air. The call to prayer is like an alarm clock reminding people that it is time to pray.
Mihrab & Quiblah: The Blue Mosque has a beautifully decorated blue mihrab. It is made of white Proconnesian marble and is an original example of the carved stonework of the 16th and 17th century. This is a niche, sort of alcove, which shows where the quiblah wall is, (the wall that shows the direction of the ka’bah in Makkah.) It is very grand, because it is made of finely carved and sculptured marble and the nearby wall is covered in ceramic tiles. The Ka’bah is said to be the world’s oldest place of worship in the whole world. It was built by Adam and restored by Ibrahim, (peace be upon them). Even when praying at home, Muslims usually have an ayah from the Quran or a picture on the wall showing the direction of the Ka’bah so that they know which way to face when praying. Muslims also carry a compass on them when they are travelling. They do not just use this compass to find their way; they also use it to find the direction of Makkah when they need to pray. The mihrab was probably introduced in the 3rd century of Islam. They can be made of wood but are usually made of masonry and adorned with pillars. They often come highly ornamented.
This is the inner courtyard of the Blue Mosque.
Minbar: In the blue mosque, the marble ’minbar’, or pulpit, features the mother of pearl relief. The minbar is the stand or platform, in the praying area, from which the imam delivers his khutbah, speech, or sermon, at the Friday prayer, called, Salat-ul-Jumu’ah. In the Blue Mosque, the minbar is made of white Proconnesian marble and is a fine example of the carved stonework of the 16th and 17th century, (like the mihrab). There are usually at least three steps and the imam stands half way up as a sign of humility before Allah and as an equal with his fellow muslims. Sometimes there is a special seat for the imam to sit in. This is also useful because the imam can then be seen and heard. The minbar may be very ornate, or just a little platform at the top of a few stairs. The minbar is usually next to the mihrab. It is the only piece of furniture required in a mosque
Quran Racks: Quran racks are usually used in the madrasa part of the mosque, which is like a mosque school where children learn how to read the Quran and learn about Islam. They are kept in other parts of the mosques too so that Muslims can read a bit of it before of after prayer.
Wudu area: Before entering the area where Muslims pray, there is always a place for ritual washing and cleansing. This is a very necessary part of the design of a mosque because it is important to approach Allah and a place of worship in a state of purity. This ceremonial washing is called wudu. The basic facilities for wudu would be a simple sink with many taps or a splendid courtyard with fountains of running water. There will probably be separate amenities for men and women. People do not want to prostate on a dirty floor, so it is important that it is kept clean by wudu. In the blue mosque, a fine fountain for ablution takes up the centre of the courtyard, surrounded by six marble columns.
Shoe racks: In all or most mosques, there will probably be somewhere for shoes to be left. This will either be outside the mosque, on the floor or on a mat, or inside the mosque on shoe racks so that shoes are easy to find after the player.
Moon and Star: Various mosques have a crescent moon and a star somewhere on the dome or at the top of a mosque. The five-pointed star and crescent is a symbol of Islam. It is illustrated on the flags and stamps of many Muslim countries. The five-pointed star symbolizes the five pillars of Islam and the moon and star together are signs to Muslims of the greatness of the creator.
Library: There is usually a library of books stacked up on shelves so that children, adults, and non-muslims can learn about Islam and find out information on the topics they want to learn about.
Calligraphy: The faience consists of floral and extraordinary patterns of various colours on white ground. These are very fine examples of the art of tiling. The bronze and wooden decorations and artefacts of the mosque are also very fine. Calligraphy is the work of Ameti Kasim Gubari and the fine mother-of-pearl window shutters are the work of Sedefkar Mehmet Ada. A very significant feature of a mosque is that there are absolutely NO pictures, statues, or images. This is because, from the very beginning, Islam has been against idolatry. When Muhammad (saw) rode into Makkah and destroyed the idols of wood and stone in the ka’bah, it was a very important moment of Islamic history. The cleansing of the Ka’bah represented a key belief in Islam; a belief that had been held by the ancient prophets before Muhammad (saw), but had been forgotten; the belief that Allah had no partner. To make an image would be to commit a terrible sin called shirk. In the mosque, instead of statues and pictures, beautiful, decorative patterns are used. Sometimes they are made of mosaic tiles and precious stones. They are abstract, geometric, or taken from plant life, but they are deliberately not realistic. The more two-dimensional the picture is, the better, because in this way, there is no risk of an image becoming an object of worship in a place of worship. The patterns inside and outside a mosque are often very decorative designs made up of calligraphy with declarations in Arabic, which are the words of Allah from the Quran. This stunning writing is done in different styles and sometimes it is so sophisticated and complex that the Arabic is tricky to read.
Mosques do not always have to be fancy and flashy, they can be plain and simple converted houses that are used to pray in. The prophet (saw) said, ‘wherever the time of prayer overtakes you, pray: that place is a mosque.’ This shows that anywhere clean can be a mosque, as long as you pray there.
Overall, the Blue mosque is one of my best mosques because it is blue (which is my favourite colour) and it is beautifully and incredibly gorgeous. That is why I chose to describe it.
Analyse and explain the role and function of the imam in a Sunni mosque.
There are no priests in Islam because each person is its own priest. The Muslims have religious leader called imams. These people are chosen because they have a lot of religious knowledge and people know that they are good Muslims. The imam is a perfect role model. They play an important part in a Sunni mosque. They are not usually paid for what they do; they do their work in spare time. They earn money by doing another full-time job. In a big mosque, an imam may be paid for being a secretary or a caretaker.
An imam does many things like giving Sermons, Khutbahs, talks, advising people, leading the 5 daily prayers and any other prayer like Tarawih and Junazah, and so on. He is also busy with caring for other things because he contacts and visits people that are not well, bereaved people, and sometimes even visits people in prison. Most imams start their job very early and finish it very late.
The imams’ day starts with the morning prayer, which is Fajr. Every now and then, this can be as early as 3.00 a.m. After this, he will read Quran. Then he has his breakfast and a bit of a rest before his daily work begins. An imam’s day is usually spent showing school groups and visitors round the mosque if it is a big mosque, but in small mosques, there is not much to be done so the imam can usually have some more rest. Sometimes there are talks to prepare and questions to answer. Occasionally, there are letters to reply to. Several non-Muslims write to an imam to find out information on Islam.
In between all of this, there are usually other prayers to lead. Some imams also organise activities, which include educational programmes for adults and children, and religious programmes at the mosque. There are even financial and business problems to sort out.
Sometimes there can be Islamic schools to go to, to give talks and speeches and other times, there are classes for other groups of people. Imams visit many schools and talk to many non-muslim groups about Islam. They also go to prisons to give advice and hospitals to talk to the sick. They may also prepare and give study circles and can be teachers of Islamic studies to adults and children. Most imams also conduct Nikah's, Janazah’s, and divorces.
Overall, an imam does nearly everything in a mosque and sorts out all the problems that there usually is to sort out.
Analyse and Explain the Role and Function of the Mosque in the Muslim Community.
A Mosque is very important in the Muslim community. It is called a masjid in Arabic. It is used for many things, most of which have been mentioned about the Blue Mosque.
All mosques are used for prayers. Muslims go to pray the five daily prayers, Jummuah every Friday, Eid prayers, and Janazah prayers. As well as these prayers, Muslims can go to pray any other prayers whenever they want to because most mosques are usually open all morning and night.
A Mosque can also be used as a Madrasa. This is a mosque school, which is usually aimed at children so that they can learn how to read the Quran in Arabic. Most mosques usually teach the children Islamic studies as a bonus.
Mosques can be used for many other things too. It is very helpful when people have problems because an imam or religious person with knowledge can usually help solve it so when people have problems with marriage or anything else, someone with knowledge can usually give some advice to help.
A mosque is a good place for social meetings because there are usually a few rooms somewhere in the mosque so that people can go and socialise. This can be handy when its hard to go to some ones house because you can easily make arrangements to go to the mosque.
Community leaders and people with high knowledge of Islam can meet in the mosque, discuss the Shariah Law, and solve problems in Law courts. Marriages and divorces can be sorted out Islamically and when a Muslim wants to learn about Islam, there is access to a library, which usually has heaps of books that can be very helpful when read. Sometimes, people may need information on a particular subject so they can use the library and find the answers to their questions.
Overall, the mosque in a community is very helpful because of all the reasons mentioned above. Its also very helpful when people need a rest form the world and need time to think to sort out things so I think that a mosque is very important in the Muslim community and all areas should have one even if it is a simple converted house.
