The secrets of this earth are not for all men to see, but only for those who seek them
Islam
Blue Mosque – Istanbul, Turkey
Sep 16th
Throughout the Byzantine period there was a hippodrome close to the Blue Mosque with a capacity of 10,000 people. In 1606, Sultan Ahmet wanted to construct a mosque larger, more magnificent and more stunning than the Saint Sophia Church, and he did indeed construct a mosque; you will be the one to judge which one is more remarkable. More >
Imam Mosque – Esfahan, Iran
Sep 9th
Imam Square and the buildings that surround it are the sublime subject of the Persian proverb: ‘Esfahan is half the world’. Commissioned by the powerful Safavid Shah Abbas I and extended and enhanced by his successor Shah Abbas II, Imam Square was the centrepiece of Esfahan. It was designed to reflect both architectural and symbolic perfection, mirroring the spiritual and temporal power of the Safavid dynasty.
Opposite Ali Qapu Palace, sits one of the most stunning examples of Islamic architecture in the world, Sheik Lotfollah Mosque. However, dominating the southern part of the square stands the masterful Imam Mosque, which frames both the square and the city skyline. More >
Hagia Sophia – Istanbul
Aug 18th
The emperor Justinian sponsored one of the architectural wonders of the world in Istanbul: a huge imperial church, replacing an earlier one destroyed during a popular revolt. Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) was designed by two scientist-architects whose backgrounds suggest a synthesis of East and West, Christian and pagan.
The heart of the building is a single domed space. From outside it rises in ordered tiers, its magnificent singleness of effect not much spoiled by heavy buttresses added after earthquake damage. More >
The Dome of the Rock – Jerusalem
Jul 28th
More has been written about the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem than any other Islamic building. The reason is clear: even though its patron and date are known, its original function is not. It is mentioned in no historical sources dating from the period of its erection or even short.ly after. The building’s purpose, or purposes, has to be deduced from its location, form and decoration, including its inscriptions.
The location is of course most significant, in the centre of the Temple Mount. This was the great enclosed platform upon which the Temple of Solomon had once stood until it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. The enclosure is also graced with an earlier Islamic building, the Aqsa Mosque, which in its first state was probably built by one of ‘Abd al-Malik’s caliphal predecessors. More >
