Home
Search
Maps
of Turkey
Photo
Gallery
Where
to Go
When
to Go
Where
to Stay
What
It Costs
Turkish Money
Transport
FAQ-Travel
Details
Best
Itineraries
Guided Tours
Travel
Agency
Unusual
Trips
Consultations
TTP
Forums
Funny
Stuff
Shopping
Site
Index
Bright Sun
|
|
The architect of Istanbul's Blue
Mosque, Sedefkâr Mehmet
Ağa, paid tribute to his colleagues Anthemius
of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus,
architects of neighboring Ayasofya (Hagia
Sophia), who designed their masterwork
a thousand years before Mehmet Aga
was born.
As you proceed deep into Ayasofya,
the domes seem to billow upward
into space, creating their own "heavens." In
the Blue
Mosque, Mehmet Aga has duplicated
the effect on the exterior of
the building: as you approach from
the front and ascend the stairs toward
the courtyard, the domes billow upward
until, entering the courtyard, the full
grandeur of the exterior is revealed.
Sultanahmet's
two great timeless monuments, side
by side....
The images below allow you to see
some of the effect, but there's nothing
like being right there. When you go,
be sure to enter the Blue Mosque's
enclosure from the west (Hippodrome)
side. Walk slowly, looking ahead,
and watch the drama of the domes--and
the architect's genius--being
revealed for you.
For a more dramatic description, see
the excerpt
from Bright Sun, Strong Tea, my
Turkey travel memoir.
|
|
|
