We met our very enthusiastic guide and the rest of our group (28 total) and walked up the cobbled brick street - sidewalks often used by shop keepers so had to walk in streets- to this magnificent structure. The archetect was a contemporary of Michealangelo. The interior is a splendid display of delicate light blue, soft red and white tiles. The dome and arches provide a very light, airy feeling. It was originally lit with oil lamps which were smokey, so he devised windows which blew the smoke in such a way it could be collected and made into ink - talk about recycling!
The large prayer area is for men - women pray behind a lacy wooden screen. The prayers are recitation of the Koran and are now attended mostly by retired and unemployed men. Turkey is a secular state and if one's job demand time, that prayer is skipped to be made up later.
Turkey is 99 percent Muslim - 90 percent of which are Suni. The call to worship -once delivered by Messens in Turkish- is now blasted throughout by loud speakers in Arabic. There are 3 mosques nearby, so it is difficult to miss the notification of prayer time.
We had to cover our heads and remove our shoes before entering , Muslims also wash their hands, face and feet and are suppose to bathe entirely after intercourse or after a woman's period, before entering a mosque.
Later we had a Delicious Turkish meal with the group - eggplant with chicken ot lamb and baklava!
Soon asleep after 2 unsuccessful tries to send a note - looking forward to more adventures and getting to know our group So nice to have you along!
Are you able to take pictures inside the mosques? I would imagine, no, but I would love to see pictures of some of the ancient tile work.
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