|
from everywhere. The courtyard of the mosque
is quite small and it is on the podium which is also ascended
with stairs. The last congregation place has 2 rows of columns
and 5 domes.
The plan of the mosque is rectangular. The
central dome was seated on four main columns and other columns
with arches and its two sides were separated into three through
arches. After that, they were covered with vaults. That is to
say, the dome is seated upon 8 supports and it is supported with
4 arches and 4 semi-domes.
All the internal and partially external walls
are decorated with the most precious tiles of the time. Covering
the external side is a type of ornamentation not encountered in
other mosques.
The tiles were produced in the workshops in
Iznik established with the order of Selim I and they are the
most precious pieces produced. To produce such high quality
tiles could have been financed only by such a rich administrator
as Riistem Pasha. The red tiles at the south-east wall of the
mosque are the most attractive ones. The red color is obtained
from a particular soil called Bolus, which includes iron-oxide.
The most common figures on the tiles are tulips and geometrical
patterns. |
