AYA SOFYA AND THE BLUE MOSQUE Of Historical Istanbul.

 

The Historical Aya Sofya

And The 'Blue Mosque'

Of Istanbul

(M. Javed Naseem)

 

I am sorry for my absence as normally I post a new article every Friday. We travelled one Thursday evening from Casablanca (Morocco) to Instanbul (Turkey); spent the night in the air; and about 2:00am in the morning (Friday) reached our hotel. Slept a couple of hours and then rushed to the biggest historical landmark of the country, Aya Sophya (Turkish) or Aya Sophia (general expression) or Hagia Sophia (Roman). We (me & wife) wanted to offer Friday prayer there and then other prayers at the Blue Mosque (Masjid Sultan Ahmet), the most beautiful and the biggest mosque in Turkey. Alhamdo-lillah (thank God), we successfully achieved that goal.

Officially, this big mosque is called in Turkish “Ayasofya Kebir Camii” (Ayasofya, the big mosque). There's another Ayasofya which is called “Kucuk Ayasofya Camii” (Small Ayasofya Mosque). We visited both, as both of them were close to our hotel, and not far from each other either (maybe 500 meters apart). The design of the both mosques is very similar; but the big one is really majestic and elegant from inside too. It's the major historical and cultural site in Turkey. It is also the last of three church buildings to be successfulloy constructed on the same site by the Eastern Roman Empire. It was completed in 537-AD. From 360-AD to the year 1204, it was an Eastern Orthodoc church. Following the 4^th Crusade, it was converted into a Catholic Church. In the year 1261, it was reclaimed and again became the Eastern Orthodox till 1453, when the Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinople (Istanbul). It was converted into a mosque and served as a mosque until 1935, when it was converted into a museum. In the year 2020, it became a mosque again.

Hagia Sophia's splendour and elegance doesn't need my introduction or explanation. When you see it by yourself, you'll be mesmerized and lost into time. And when you offer prayer inside this historical place, you'll fee the awe. A feeling that is hard to describe.

 

Masjid Sultan Ahmed (Turkish: Sultan Ahmet Camii) is also popularly known as the 'Blue Mosque'. It is right in front of the famous Aya Sofya or Hagia Sophya in Istanbul. It is historical imperial mosque of the Ottoman era. The Blue Mosque was constructed between 1609 and 1617-AD during the rule of Sultan Ahmed-I. It remains functional till today. It also attracts a large number of tourists and is one of the most iconic and popular monuments of Ottoman architecture.

The mosque has a classical Ottoman layout with a central dome surrounded by four semi-domes over the pray hall. It is fronted by a large courtyard and flanked by six minarets. On the inside, it is decorated with thousands of Isnik tiles and painted floral motifs in predominantly blue colors, which give the mosque its popular name (the Blue Mosque). The mosque's religious complex (Kulliye) includes Sultan Ahmed's tomb, a madrasa, a museum and several other buildings.

The Blue Mosque was built next to the former Hippodrome and stands across from the Hagia Sophia. The Blue Mosque was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1985, under the title of 'Historic Areas of Instanbul'.

I have visited Petra in Jordan, the Pyramids of Cairo, Egypt, and many other important, historical sites in different countries of the world but I never saw such a big crowd of tourists at one place as I saw it in Istanbul. Thousands and thousands of tourists from all parts of the world, Muslims and non-Muslims. I saw such a crowd only at Makkah and Madinah (Saudi Arabia), the holy places of Muslims.

 

There's another thing worth mentioning here! Whey you visit Petra (Jordan), you pay the entry fee; when you visit the Pyramids of Cairo, Egypt, you pay the entrance fee; even when you visit the Hassan-II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco, you pay as a tourist or visitor 150-Dirhams ($15.00) per person. But in Istanbul, you don't pay to enter the both mosques the Blue Mosque and the Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia). It is free for both Muslims and non-Muslims. Only during the prayer times, the non-Muslim tourists or visitors are restricted to enter. After the prayer, they can enter the both mosques.

The huge neighborhoods around both mosques are the most expensive tourist areas of Istanbul. The prices of hotel rooms, taxis, restaurants, cafe, fruits, sweets, ice cream and everything else are enormously high. You have to make a real effort to find a place with reasonable prices. The locals don't buy anything from that zone. They live outside and they buy outside the tourist areas. The best way to move around is on foot or by metro trains or buses. For that you need to buy the Metro card.

Both big mosques (Aya Sofya and Masjid Sultan Ahmed), the Small Aya Sofya, the famous Topkapi Museum are in the same neighborhood called “Fatih” and the other smaller area called “Sultanahmet”. Hotels are very expensive in those areas but worth it as all major attractions are on a walking distance. Even the most popular world-famous shopping area called “Covered Bazar” or “Grand Bazar” is not far. All those attractions are just 10-20 minutes walk away. But if you are in areas like Teksim, which also surrounds may hotel, restaurants, bars, night clubs, shopping malls, etc., you are a bit far from the main attractions. If you are not using Metro, the taxi will be very expensive. And like any other country, taxi-drivers cheat too to make an extra buck.

 

Istanbul is a very beautiful city, full of water, islands, hills and green spots. The food is really tasty and the climate is good. Turkish sweets like “Baklawa” and the “Turkish Delights” are unique and delicious. Don't forget to go on a cruise, like Princess' Island tour, or Bosphorus Islands tour, etc. It is expensive but worth it. A great experience! We really enjoyed it. There is a lot of history scattered all around Istanbul. There is something for every taste.

When we visited, a US dollar was worth 28-TL (Turkish Lira). By that standard, Turkey should be cheaper for American and European tourists, but unfortunately it is not. The main tourist areas are just rip-off, like many other countries. But if you manage to go out of main tourist areas, it is really cheap and people are really friendly. You'll see the difference and will change your opinion too.

Subhan Allah! God's creation is beautiful. Travel and enjoy it; and be grateful to Him that you got a chance to do that.

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