OTTOMAN IMPERIAL MOSQUES
Ottoman sultans or other members of the dynasty commissioned these historic monuments. They were usually built as a külliye, a complex of buildings with a mosque in the centre, surrounded with madrasas, kitchens and other buildings for various charitable services for the poor.
The biggest are the 16th and 17th century complexes, although mosques built in the 18th and 19th century are equally significant. Fatih Sultan Mehmed constructed two big mosques in the 15th century, right after he conquered Constantinople. But these two original structures were destroyed by earthquakes or fires and were rebuilt at a later date.
The chief imperial architect Mimar Sinan constructed most of the existent complexes in Istanbul. The master architect of the Ottoman Empire for 50 years, he set the pattern for other külliye architects.
Many Ottoman imperial mosques are in other cities in Turkey. Bursa was the first proper capital of the Ottoman Empire and some historically very important religious temples are there. Other Ottoman imperial mosques are in Edirne, Konya, Amasya, Manisa and even in Damascus.
BLUE MOSQUE
Without any doubt, the magnificent Sultan Ahmed or Blue Mosque is the most famous of all Ottoman imperial mosques. Positioned directly opposite Hagia Sophia, it’s a spectacular image and a breath taking historic structure, in the most central part of old Istanbul.
Sultan Ahmed I commissioned its construction to reassert Ottoman power after the Peace of Zsitvatorok and the crushing loss in the 1603-1618 Ottoman – Safavid war. Neither Sultan Murad III nor Sultan Mehmed III, that ruled before him, constructed their own mosques. So, this was the first imperial mosque built since Sultan Selim II constructed mosques in Edirne and Konya.
Its carefully chosen location on the southeast side where the Byzantine Hippodrome used to be allows it to dominate the city’s skyline. This perfect location, its size and six minarets all point out at Sultan Ahmed’s desire to rival or surpass Hagia Sophia.
Sedefkar Mehmed Agha completed the Blue Mosque in 1617. He styled it on Hagia Sophia and previous works of his master Mimar Sinan, making it the last great mosque of the classical Ottoman architectural period.
Ottoman sultans usually paid for construction of monumental Islamic complexes with spoils of war. But Sultan Ahmed I didn’t achieve any major victory. Rather, he used treasury funds for this very expensive project. The ulema (Islamic scholars) protested this expenditure, to the point that they forbade Muslims from praying there.
Despite this initial opposition, the Blue Mosque became one of the most popular religious temples in Istanbul. In fact, it gave the name to the part of the city in which Sultan Ahmed I built it – Sultanahmet.
Predominantly blue Iznik tiles that cover the lower walls and galleries give the popular name to this mosque. But I don’t think that tourists can see the galleries. I’ve never seen them despite the fact that I visited this mosque every time when I was in Istanbul in the past.
There are five mosques in Turkey with six minarets, the Blue Mosque is one of them.
SULTAN AHMED MAUSOLEUM
Sultan Ahmed mausoleum is next to the mosque. Construction started in 1619, after Sultan Ahmed’s death. His son, Sultan Osman II, completed it during his short reign.
As you can see in the photo below, they buried many members of the Ottoman ruling family in this mausoleum. However, the most important are Sultan Ahmed I, Sultan Osman II, Sultan Murad IV and Kösem Sultan.
SULTAN AHMED I
Sultan Ahmed I ruled the Ottoman Empire between 1603 and 1617. His father was Sultan Mehmed III and his mother Handan Sultan. He is best well known for the Blue Mosque that he constructed.
Additionally, the Ottoman royal fratricide tradition had its first breach during his reign. In other words, starting with his reign, the Ottoman sultans no longer systematically killed all their brothers like they did in the past.
When Ahmed’s grandfather Sultan Murad III died in 1595, his father arrived to Istanbul and became Sultan Mehmed III. He killed 19 of his brothers at that point. Sultan Mehmed III also killed Ahmed’s older brother Şehzade Mahmud, whose tomb you can see within the imperial graveyard behind the Şehzade Mosque.
Sultan Ahmed I died in 1617 and was succeeded by his younger half-brother Şehzade Mustafa. Later, three of his sons became sultans: Osman II, Murad IV and Ibrahim.
Because of the Blue Mosque, Sultan Ahmed’s name remains celebrated in the Turkish history and is well known throughout the world.
SULTAN OSMAN II
Sultan Osman II ruled for 4 years only, between 1618 and 1622. His father was Sultan Ahmed I and his mother one of Ahmed’s concubines – Mahfiruz Hatun.
Sometime after the death of Suleiman the Magnificent, the Jannissary corps, local leaders and ulema became increasingly more powerful in internal and external affairs of the Ottoman Empire. The power of the sultan declined, almost to the ceremonial role. For example, the chief harem eunuch of the Topkapi Palace, Mustafa Agha, deposed Sultan Mustafa I only three months into his reign. Weak-minded and deranged, Mustafa I couldn’t rule the state.
Sultan Osman II tried to balance the Janissary influence by closing their coffee shops, where they gathered to conspire against the sultan. The Janissary uprising started with the killing of the chief harem eunuch, Suleiman Agha. Then, they arrested, imprisoned and killed Sultan Osman II in Yedikule Fortress. They cut his ears and presented them to Halime Sultan and Sultan Mustafa I who then ruled for the second time, although only for just over one year.
Sultan Osman II was the first sultan killed by the Janissaries.
SULTAN MURAD IV
Sultan Murad IV ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1623 to 1640. His father was Sultan Ahmed I and his mother formidable Kösem Sultan. He ascended the throne when he was 11 years old, after Sultan Mustafa’s second reign. Because of his young age, his mother ruled the state between 1623 and 1632, when he reassumed absolute power.
Sultan Murad IV restored the authority of the state by using brutal methods. Today, his reign is most notable for the Ottoman-Safavid war, the outcome of which partitioned Caucasus between two empires for approximately two centuries. Ottomans conquered Azerbaijan and occupied Tabriz, Hamadan and Baghdad in 1638. The borders between the Ottoman and Safavid Empires were, more or less, the same as the border between Iraq and Iran today.
He died in Istanbul in 1640 from cirrhosis of the liver, at the age of 27. Allegedly, he ordered execution of his mentally disabled brother Ibrahim while on his deathbed. But Ibrahim remained alive, otherwise his death would’ve ended the Ottoman line.
KÖSEM SULTAN
Kösem Sultan reigned with supreme control and was undoubtedly one of the most famous women in the history of the Ottoman empire.
She also arrived to the Topkapi Palace as a slave, but she became Haseki Sultan as the favourite consort and afterwards the legal wife of Sultan Ahmed I.
After his death, she became Valide Sultan, as the mother of Sultan Murad IV and Sultan Ibrahim.
BLUE MOSQUE – TOURISTIC NIGHTMARE
If you go to Istanbul, you should of course visit the Blue Mosque. It’s a must. Unfortunately, it’s also one of those places that you would want to avoid altogether.
In the photo below, you can see a long queue of tourists waiting to enter into the mosque. I took this photo around 10am and, by the time I finished my visit, more tourists arrived. Most likely, it’s like that all day every day.
I understand that the Blue Mosque with its monumental size and beauty, and also close to two other major historic sites in Istanbul, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace, is what everyone wants to see.
You can see the praying hall below, packed with tourists. Unlike in other monumental imperial mosques away from this most popular touristic area, there is nothing spiritual or sacred that you can feel inside of this religious temple. The sanctity of the mosque is simply lost in the crowds of tourists.
I suppose, it’s the price that every major monument, in every country of the world, pays because of its historic significance and popularity.
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