Istanbul & Islam

According to Wikipedia, "Islam is the religion articulated by the Qur'an... An adherent of Islam is a Muslim, meaning "one who submits (to God)."

Lucky for me, I was in Istanbul during Ramadan, which is the Islamic month of fasting and prayer. Many people travel to the big mosques in Istanbul during this month, and there are big parties with music and food at night.

Although Turkey is a democratic, secular state, Muslims make up 98% of the population, with the majority of these being from the Sunni sect.

5 times each day Muslims are called to pray; the result is a haunting and beautiful voice filling the city (with help of loud speakers). Originally the prayer was called from minarets at each mosque, seen in the picture above.

The first set of pictures are of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, commonly referred to as "The Blue Mosque" for its blue Iznik tiles. It was built between 1609 and 1616.

This next set of pictures are of Hagia Sophia. Built between 532 and 537 as an Orthodox basilica during the Byzantine empire, it was later turned into a mosque by the Ottomons in 1453. Today it is a museum with some very unique and valuable mosaics still being uncovered.

This is a fountain, one of many, which once served Muslim pilgrims. After many days of journey they would wash and drink from the fountain. Water plays a central role in the Islam faith, as it is the origin of all life on earth. "Cleanliness is half of faith," the Prophet tells his companions in one of the hadiths. Washing before each prayer (ablution) is required, as prayers carried out in an impure state are not valid.