I am a big fan of mosques - whatever you may think personally about this or any religion, I don't think I have ever been to a mosque that I did not find at least beautiful, and I often find them uplifting and awe-inspiring. The architecture, the minarets pulling your eyes towards the sky, the geometrical designs in every corner ... and from the bustling heart of a city to most basic villages, there is a always a mosque nearby to provide an oasis of calm. It is a pity that this does not seem to lead to introspection or meditation on the part of so many of the people there, I'm sure the world would be a happier (or at least very different) place with less blind devotion and more active consideration of the basic messages of almost all religions - love thy neighbour, peace on earth, you know the kind of thing ...
Anyway, to return to the aesthetics of mosque; in my short visit to Istanbul last weekend, I saw what must count as some of the most beautiful mosques in the world, and I just wanted to share some of this beauty with you ... maybe it will inspire you too ...
Mosques dominate the skyline in Istanbul, but are also lined along the banks of the Bosphorus that cuts through the the heart of the city - I really liked this one in particular, which must have a lovely cool breeze running through it even in the height of summer ...
Every mosque (and many houses and other buildings) have quotes for the Koran and other sayings in beautiful Arabic calligraphy on the walls, ceilings, almost wherever you look ... and while I'm not keen on too much gold, there seems to be a good balance in most mosques between large fairly blank spaces and domes and then occasional panels of writing or decoration, such as this example above a door.
And in my book, this was the most amazing mosques of them all in Istanbul - the Blue Mosque in the centre of the old town, built opposite the equally impressive Byzantine Aya Sofya but contrasting imposing opulence with elegant simplicity and the classically Turkish cascade of domes. But if you think the outside is impressive, have a look at the inside - I went in with a friend Magali, who had never been in a mosque before, and this just knocked our socks off ...
Anyway, to return to the aesthetics of mosque; in my short visit to Istanbul last weekend, I saw what must count as some of the most beautiful mosques in the world, and I just wanted to share some of this beauty with you ... maybe it will inspire you too ...
Mosques dominate the skyline in Istanbul, but are also lined along the banks of the Bosphorus that cuts through the the heart of the city - I really liked this one in particular, which must have a lovely cool breeze running through it even in the height of summer ...
Every mosque (and many houses and other buildings) have quotes for the Koran and other sayings in beautiful Arabic calligraphy on the walls, ceilings, almost wherever you look ... and while I'm not keen on too much gold, there seems to be a good balance in most mosques between large fairly blank spaces and domes and then occasional panels of writing or decoration, such as this example above a door.
And in my book, this was the most amazing mosques of them all in Istanbul - the Blue Mosque in the centre of the old town, built opposite the equally impressive Byzantine Aya Sofya but contrasting imposing opulence with elegant simplicity and the classically Turkish cascade of domes. But if you think the outside is impressive, have a look at the inside - I went in with a friend Magali, who had never been in a mosque before, and this just knocked our socks off ...
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