Taylors Information literacy

1. Introduction
The Blue Mosque is a sanctuary built since 1616 situated opposite
the Hagia Sophia (Former Byzantine Church of Holy Wisdom &
Imperial Mosque) like an unending battle of supremacy that will last
for quite a long time, a quiet war of the Byzantine and Ottoman
periods of Istanbul that has been the capital of two majestic kingdom.
It is located in Istanbul and stand as a grand mosque for the Muslims
to perform their prayers. Nowadays, the Blue Mosque also become a
popular tourist attraction. The mosque is known as the Blue Mosque
because of blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design.
History
In the glorious days of the Ottoman Empire, it was the premier right
of the sultan to build a mosque with more than two minarets. But
when the Caliph Sultan Ahmed (ruled 1603-1617) requested that
the Blue Mosque to be built with six minarets in the hippodrome, a
site of great symbolic significance in Istanbul, he was told that the
Sacred Mosque, al-Masjid al-Haram, which surrounds the Kaaba in
the city of Mecca must boast more minarets than any other mosque
in the Muslim world, and it had six. Thus, Sultan Ahmed promptly
ordered that a seventh minarets be added to the mosque in Mecca,
so that his fantasy might can be fulfilled. His predecessors had paid
for their mosques with their war booty, however, Sultan Ahmed I
had to withdraw the funds from the treasury, because he had not
attained any remarkable triumphs during his time. This provoked
the anger the Muslim lawful scholars, the Ottoman Ulema. His will
was done. The Blue Mosque was built with six minarets within the
outstanding brief span of seven years (1609-1616) and the
ceremony were held in 1617 prior to the untimely death of its then
27-year old eponymous patron, Sultan Ahmet I.
Architect
Sedefkar Mehmed Aga was Ottoman’s royal architect in 1606. He
went to Istanbul in 1567 and began the study of music but later
switched to architecture. Then he met and became an apprentice of
Mimar Sinan, Turkey’s most famous architect, whom later appointed
Mehmed Aga as his senior assistant. From 1609 until 1616 he
worked on the Blue Mosque. The design was based on the Hagia
Sophia, the masterpiece of Byzantine architecture of his master,
Sinan’s work. The organization of his work was described in
conscientious detail in eight volumes, now found in the library of
the Topkapı Palace in Istanbul. However, the completion of some of
the functional structures of the complex continued until 1620 after
the death of Sultan Ahmet in 1617.
Function
The functional structures of the complex during the period it was
first established consist of :-
 the mosque,
 Sultan’s pavilion,
 madrasa,
 dar-ül kurra (religious school for the study of the Quran),
 health center,
 hospices,
 mausoleum,
 public fountains,
 arasta (Bazaar),
 hammam (Turkish bath),
 lodging,
 cellars and houses.
Historical Building : Sultan Ahmed Mosque ( The Blue Mosque )
Muhammad Hasif bin Alias 0316413 & Shan Sim Ee Han 0321288
Taylor’s University
Interior Design
The interior of the mosque is lined with more than 20,000
handmade ceramic tiles which have two different design based on
their position. Traditional design at the lower level while at gallery
level their design become flamboyant representing flowers, fruit
and cypresses. They were all made at Iznik city (Nicaea) in more
than fifty different tulip designs. However, their quality had
reduced gradually which lead to fade and dull colours as a result of
cost fixation by the sultan back in 1609. On the upper levels is is
dominated by blue paint. More than 200 stained glass windows
with intricate designs admit natural light. The great tablets on the
walls are inscribed with the names of the caliphs and verses from
the Quran, originally by the great 17th century calligrapher Ametli
Kasım Gubarım, but time by time they have frequently been
restored.
Exterior Design
A facade of the spacious forecourt with the addition of the turrets
on the corner domes The court is about as large as the mosque itself
and is surrounded by a continuous vaulted arcade. The central
hexagonal fountain is rather small when compared with the
spacious court. At the entrance, a heavy iron chain is hanged, so
that when the sultan enter the court on horseback, he will lower his
head a symbolic gesture to ensure the humility if the ruler in the
face of the divine. Four minarets stand at the corners of the Blue
Mosque. Each of these fluted, pencil-shaped minarets has three
balconies (Serefe) with stalactite corbels, while the two others at
the end of the forecourt only have two balconies. Everyday, the
muezzin or prayer caller had to climb a narrow spiral staircase five
times a day to announce the call to prayer.