|
order of Safiye Sultan, mother of
Mehmet III and wife of Sultan Selim II.
The construction was interrupted
between l605-l66l firstly because of the architect's
death, and then lack of finance. Architect Dalgic Ahmet
Qavu§ and architect Kasim Agha are known to have
continued the construction.
During the construction, the sea was
only three meters from the podium on which the mosque
was built. Therefore, the construction required a
serious knowledge and experience of engineering.
One of the reasons of the prolonging
of the constructions was the engineering problems
occurred in its foundations. Besides, there had been
earthquakes and fires which prevented the construction
from being completed.
When the mosque was opened to prayer,
the Sultan, queen mother, viziers and scholars
participated to the opening prayer, when gold and silver
coins were distributed to the public.
The height of the main dome is 36, diameter is 17,5 m.
The colored glasses, the mother of pearl inlayed on the
windows and doors are elegant samples of Ottoman art.
Over all windows are verses from the Holy Book Quran.
The tiles inside the mosque do not have the quality of
the previous mosques. The Sultan's Lodge to the left
leans to the famous yellow column. New Mosque has five
entrance doors. One of these opens to the courtyard.
Around the courtyard is a portico with 24 domes built
upon 20 columns. In the middle of the square courtyard
adjacent to the mosque is an elegant octagonal fountain.
The mosque has two minarets on its side facing the
courtyard. Each minaret has 3 balconies. |
