istanbul - C2C

how the mosque has withstood frequent and
powerful earthquakes or why no soot has
accumulated under its domes despite the oil
lamps and candles that have burnt for 450
years, or how its wonderful acoustics work, you
can discover the answers here – in the hidden
parts of Mimar Sinan’s genius. The foundations
of the mosque were given a certain amount of
elasticity by placing juniper piles and beams
among the masonry in order to enable it absorb
the shock waves of earthquakes. To avoid soot
accumulation on the interior surfaces due to
hundreds of candles and oil lamps, he found a
very creative solution: the design of the mosque
has created a ventilating current which brought
all the soot to a special chamber situated over
the entrance portal. The soot collected here
was used to produce ink used in calligraphy
employed in firmans, the imperial edicts. Yet
another stroke of genius was employed in the
central dome of the mosque. He placed 255 pots
into the fabric of the dome, and by doing so he
improved the acoustics of the building and its
thermal insulation. It was built as a multi-minaret
mosque. If a mosque has more than one minaret,
it means that it was built either by a sultan or by
some member of his royal household.
The other buildings of the complex extend over
a large area, and each building is rich and
beautiful in its own way. The domed ceiling of
the tomb of Süleyman the Magnificent was inlaid
with precious stones, and gives the impression
that you are looking at the stars on a dark night.
istanbul
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