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As a city that is more than 90% Muslim, Istanbul provides a great opportunity to better understand Islam. Visitors are free to enter mosques and thus better understand the religion practiced by about 2 billion people. The Blue Mosque was the triumph of Sultan Ahmed I in the 17th century. With its six minarets, it architecturally rivaled the Great Mosque in Mecca, the holiest in all of Islam. Its majestic courtyard hospitably welcomes crowds of people who gather for prayer. As with all mosques, shoes must be left at the entrance and women must cover their heads. If you don't have a scarf, you will find them at the entrance to the rental.
Countless beautiful tiles fill the interior with exquisite floral and geometric motifs. It is called the Blue Mosque because of the color of the tiles. Blue is a popular color in Turkey. It so impressed the first French visitors that they called it the color of the Turks, or "turquoise." While churches depict people, Muslims believe that depictions of people in places of worship distract from the worship of Allah as the only God. In mosques, instead of saints and prophets, you will see geometric patterns and calligraphy. This explains why the Muslim world historically excelled in non-figurative art, while artists in Christian Europe focused on depicting the human figure.
Masterful Arabic calligraphy usually depicts passages from the Quran and sayings of Muhammad. Just as in a church, Jesus and God are at the center, in a mosque, high above the prayer niche, are exquisite medallions with the names of Muhammad and Allah Large festive candles stand on either side of the mihrab. This is a niche that points the direction to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, where Muslims turn during prayer. Just as churches have bell towers, mosques have minarets. According to Muslim tradition, the imam, or prayer leader, would ascend to the top of the minaret to call the faithful to prayer Today, the prayer leader still delivers the call to prayer live, but instead of climbing a minaret, the sound is amplified by loudspeakers. The
same message is heard five times a day Allahu Akbar, God is great. I bear witness that there is no God but the One, and Muhammad is His prophet. Come to prayer, come to salvation. When this happens, Muslim believers enter the mosque, face Mecca, and pray. Then, after a short service of praise to God, daily life continues. Here, in a park between two beloved mosques, people reflect on the meaning of Ramadan as they wait to break their fast. Daily fasting for a month each year during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. From sunrise to sunset for 30 days: no eating, drinking or smoking. All of this is a manifestation of self-control.
Muhammad taught that loosening ties with the material world eases the path to eternity, as if the shackles are falling off. It is an opportunity to share a sacred moment with family and community. They are ready, the food is ready, waiting for the call to prayer that sounds at sunset. It's scenes like these, so similar to my own family holidays, that remind me why I travel. To learn about cultures different from mine, just to understand how similar we are.
