Blue Mosque Ottoman Architecture -- Sultan Ahmed Istanbul HD Wallpaper
Free download β’ 1792Γ1024 β’ 2.4 MB
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About this image
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul -- known worldwide as the Blue Mosque for its 20,000 hand-painted blue Iznik tiles covering its interior -- is one of the greatest architectural achievements of the Ottoman Empire and one of the most photographed buildings on earth. This HD wallpaper renders its unmistakable silhouette in all its imperial grandeur: six minarets (unprecedented -- only the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca had six at the time of its construction in 1616) rising around cascading semi-domes that step down from the central dome like waves from a stone thrown in water, the whole structure set against a golden sunset sky that catches the tile-work and stone in warm light. Sultan Ahmed I, who commissioned the mosque at just 18 years old, is said to have instructed his architect Sedefkar Mehmed Agha to build minarets "altin" (gold) -- but the architect heard "alti" (six) and built six, creating the accidental controversy that required the mosque to fund the addition of a seventh minaret at Mecca to maintain its preeminence. The result of this misunderstanding is one of the most recognizable skylines in the world. The Iznik tiles inside, in shades of cobalt blue, turquoise, and white with floral and geometric motifs, were the finest ceramic tradition in the Ottoman world -- each tile handmade, hand-painted, and fired in the kilns of Iznik (ancient Nicaea). The mosque has been in continuous use for over 400 years. Free HD download.
