Friday is a day of obligatory mosque attendance
Friday is Muslim day. This article is devoted to the basic norms and ethics associated with Friday and prayer. The article is written based on the famous modern book on fiqh of the imam's legal school Al-Shafi'i- “Al-Fihku l-manhaji.”
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Friday is the best day on which the sun has ever risen. On this day Adam was created, on this day he was settled in Paradise, on this day he was expelled from Paradise, and the Day of Judgment will come on this day - Friday" ( At-Tirmidhi).
Proof of the Friday Prayer Precept
The prescription of Friday prayer and its obligatory nature are indicated by the Words of Allah Almighty (meaning): “O you who believe! When called to prayer on Friday, rush to the remembrance of Allah and leave trading. It would be better for you, if only you knew” (Surah Gathering, verse 9).
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Friday prayer is obligatory for all Muslims...” ( Abu Daoud). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also said: “People should stop neglecting Friday prayers, otherwise Allah will seal their hearts, and then they will become indifferent.” Muslim).
Wisdom of the Friday Prayer Prescription
There is a lot of wisdom and benefit in the prescription of Friday prayer. One of the most important is the weekly meeting of Muslims with each other. They gather for instruction that strengthens their unity and harmony. The Friday meeting, accompanied by the worship of Allah shoulder to shoulder, strengthens the love of Muslims for each other, promotes acquaintances and mutual assistance between people. This meeting also gives them the opportunity to monitor events taking place in the surrounding society.
Therefore, Sharia encourages Muslims to attend Friday prayers and warns against leaving or neglecting them. It is reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah will seal the heart of the one who misses the three Friday prayers, neglecting them.”
Conditions for obligatory Friday prayer
Friday prayer is obligatory for everyone who meets the following conditions:
1. Islam. The performance of Friday prayer is not required of a non-Muslim, in the sense that his worship will not be valid without accepting Islam. However, in the next world he will be held accountable for leaving her.
2. Coming of age. Performing Friday prayers is not obligatory for a child.
3. Intelligence. A person who has lost his mind or does not have it is also not obliged to perform Friday prayer.
4. Being male. Performing Friday prayers is not obligatory for a woman.
5. Health. Performing Friday prayers is not obligatory for a patient who, due to pain or illness, finds it difficult to stay in the mosque. Also, the obligation to perform Friday prayer falls off a person if his illness may worsen or his recovery may be delayed. Also, it is not necessary for someone who is looking after or treating a sick person to go to Friday prayers if the sick person needs this person. And it doesn’t matter whether the sick person is a relative of the one who is looking after him or not.
6. Permanent residence in the place where Friday prayers are held. Performing Friday prayers is not obligatory for one who is on a permissible journey (that is, for one who did not leave to commit a sin), even a short one, if he left his city before the morning prayer of Friday and if from the place where he is this person, he does not hear the call to prayer from the city from which he left.
It is also not obligatory to perform Friday prayer for a Muslim who permanently resides in his locality, if it does not have all the conditions for the validity of Friday prayer (they will be discussed below). For example, if there are not forty people in it for whom prayer is obligatory, and the azan is not heard from a nearby settlement.
Conditions for the validity of Friday prayers
If a Muslim meets the seven conditions listed above, performing prayer is obligatory for him. However, it itself will also not be valid, except under four conditions:
1. Friday prayers must be held within a populated area (the location should not go beyond the boundary line of city buildings). And it doesn’t matter whether we are talking about a city or a settlement in which at least forty men permanently live, obligated to perform Friday prayers.
Thus, the prayer will not be valid in a desert steppe, a tent city or a populated area in which there are not forty men required to perform Friday prayer. If the azan is heard there from a neighboring settlement, then people are obliged to go there to perform Friday prayers. Otherwise, the obligation to perform Friday prayers falls away from them.
2. The number of people performing Friday prayer, for whom it is obligatory, should not be less than forty people. We are talking about adult men permanently residing in the locality where Friday prayers are performed. From Jabir ibn Abdullah It is reported that he said: “In accordance with the Sunnah, Friday prayer is performed in the presence of forty or more worshippers.” Also, one of the hadiths says that the first who gathered Muslims and performed Friday prayers with them was As'ad ibn Zirara, and there were forty of them.
3. Friday prayers must be performed during the period during which the obligatory lunch prayers are performed.
Al-Bukhari reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was performing Friday prayers when the sun had passed its zenith, that is, it had deviated towards sunset.
Also narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim from Salami ibn al-Akwa', who said: “We performed Friday prayers together with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and when we dispersed, there were no shadows near the walls in which we could hide.”
It is also reported that Sahl ibn Sa'd said: “We went for midday rest and had lunch only after Friday prayers” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim).
The above hadiths indicate that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed only during the obligatory lunch prayer, and at the beginning of this interval.
4. Friday prayers should not be held in one city more times than necessary. In general, it is obligatory for residents of one city to gather for Friday prayers in one place. If the number of people or other circumstances does not allow performing Friday prayers in one place, it is permissible to perform it in as many places as necessary, but no more than that.
Proof of this condition
During the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the righteous caliphs and the next generation of Muslims, prayer was not held except in one place in the city, which had a large mosque called the Friday mosque. The remaining mosques served to perform the five obligatory prayers.
Al-Bukhari and Muslim reported from Aisha, who said: “On Friday, people walked one after another [to prayer] from their homes [located outside the city’s outskirts].”
The reason (wisdom) for this condition is that Friday prayer in one place is more consistent with the goals for which it was established: the desire for unity of society and a single word addressed to Muslims.
Etiquette for going to Friday prayers
1. Before Friday prayer, you should take a bath (take a bath - ghusl). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “If you go for Friday prayer, then take a bath” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim).
However, bathing is desirable and not obligatory, according to other words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Whoever performs ablution on Friday will receive a benefit (do the right thing), but if he bathes, it will be preferable.” Some scientists consider swimming on Friday mandatory.
2. It is advisable for a man to anoint himself with incense. This is indicated by the hadith cited by Al-Bukhari (843). Friday prayers are accompanied by pandemonium, and people should not cause inconvenience to each other related to hygiene and neatness.
3. It is advisable to wear the best clothes for prayer, as indicated by the hadith transmitted Ahmad (3/81).
4. It is advisable to cut your nails and trim your mustache, as indicated by the hadith from Al Bazzara.
5. You should go to prayer as early as possible. This is indicated by the hadith reported by Al-Bukhari (841) and Muslim (850).
6. Upon entering the mosque, you should perform a welcome prayer of two rak'ahs. This is indicated by a hadith reported by Muslim (875).
7. It is forbidden to talk during the khutbah. You cannot even make a remark out loud to someone who is talking during the khutbah, as indicated by the hadith reported by Al-Bukhari (892) and Muslim (851).
General Friday etiquette
Friday is the best day of the week and has its own virtues and ethics. A Muslim should know them, receiving Allah's reward for observing them:
2. On Friday and on Friday night, it is advisable to make dua to Allah Almighty more often. Allah has established a period of time during Friday in which He must answer the dua, as indicated by the hadith reported by Al-Bukhari (893) and Muslim (852).
As the Holy Quran says, Allah Almighty created us only for us to worship Him. At the same time, our worship must certainly comply with the rules and conditions established by Shariah. And if, in addition to this, we follow the desired actions and other recommendations regarding each worship, we can receive more rewards.
For example, in a mosque - this is an urgent sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), a person receives a reward for it at least twenty-seven times more than for an individual prayer.
If a person going to the mosque follows the recommendations of going to the mosque, his reward will definitely increase. Among other recommended actions on the way to the mosque, it is advisable to go there one way and return another.
From Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) it is narrated:
كان النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - إذا كان يوم عيد خالف الطريق
« On the day of the holiday (ʻid) the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) usually returned from prayer in a different way from the way he went to it ». ( Buhari)
Not only on the way to the mosque, it is advisable to go one way and return another. It is also recommended to do this when we go on Hajj, take part in funeral processions and other good deeds.
In these cases, it is advisable to go there one way and return another. This is done only with the aim of increasing the number of places of our worship of Allah Almighty.
From ʻAbdullah Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) it is transmitted:
أن رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - كان يخرج من طريق الشجرة، ويدخل من طريق المعرس، وإذا دخل مكة، دخل من الثنية العليا، ويخرج من الثنية السفلى
« When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) left Medina, he usually passed through Ash-Shajara (a place about six miles from Medina), and he usually returned through Al-Mu'arras (an area also distant from Medina about six miles). And when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered Mecca, he entered through the upper pass and exited through the lower pass ». ( Buhari, Muslim)
The famous scholar of the Shafi'i madhhab, Ibn Hajar Al-Haytami, in his book “ Tuhfat al-mukhtaj ” writes the following about this:
« It is advisable to go to ʻid-namaz (mandub) one way, and return along another, following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in this.. Al-Bukhari reported this hadith.
The wisdom of this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) walked to the mosque along a long road, for the reward for a long journey towards the mosque is greater (than for returning). And he returned along a short road. And this is the sunnah in all services.” ("Tuhfat Al-Muhtaj")
ʻAbdulhamid Ash-Shirvani in his subcommentary to the book “Tuhfat al-Muhtaj” adds:
« When going to the mosque, you should take a long route, even if there is not enough time left before performing namaz. However, Ibn Al-ʻImad said that it is advisable (mustahabb) to take a long road, except when a person goes to Janazah prayer. As for the funeral prayer, if it is performed in a mosque or other place, it is advisable to hurry and take a shorter route.
The same will be the solution for those who are afraid of missing out. It follows from this that it is preferable to take a short route to the mosque and hurry if there is not enough time left before performing the prayer. Moreover, taking a short route and being in a hurry is a must for a person who is afraid of missing a fard" ("Hashiyat Ash-Shirvani")
As can be seen from all of the above, we can receive a reward for a minor matter without making any special efforts or financial expenses. Following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in all our affairs, regardless of whether they are purely religious or secular, brings us great benefit and guarantees happiness in both worlds.
Nurmukhammad Izudinov
Namaz-tahiyat is a two-rakah prayer performed after entering the mosque.
At the entrance to the mosque they say salawat - the formula of blessing of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), then read:
اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِك
Translation: “O Allah, open for me the gates of Your mercy.”
It is advisable to enter the mosque with your right foot, and before sitting down, you should perform two rakats of tahiyat prayer. This is the order of a reliable hadith cited by imams al-Bukhari and Muslim.
This prayer should be performed every time you enter the mosque, even if you have only entered for a short time. If you go out for a short time and come back in, then in this case you should perform tahiyat. Namaz-tahiyat is also considered perfect if immediately upon entering the mosque you perform any namaz (farz namaz, sunnat namaz, whether it is timely or refundable), because the main goal is to perform namaz before you sit in the mosque. Therefore, if a Muslim immediately begins to perform any prayer upon entering the mosque, he will receive a reward for tahiyat. If, along with the intention to perform any prayer, you intend and perform tahiyat, then the reward increases. Most of all, the reward is due for performing separately first tahiyat, then another prayer.
It is not advisable to sit in a mosque without performing tahiyat, unless there is a special reason (illness, etc.). But if there is a need to immediately make up for the missed prayer or the time for the obligatory prayer ends, then performing tahiyat is prohibited (haram). It is not advisable to perform tahiyat even if the call to begin prayer (ikamat) has sounded or a collective prayer has already begun.
If a Muslim sits in a mosque, then the time for performing tahiyat prayer ends. Its time also ends if it is refused. But if he sat down out of forgetfulness and no more time has passed than is necessary to perform a two-rakah prayer, then the time of tahiyat prayer is not considered completed. Its time does not end even if you sit down with the intention of getting up immediately, for example, due to fatigue or sitting down to drink water. If someone, due to the impossibility of performing ablution and his absence, cannot perform namaz or does not want to perform it, then it is advisable for him to say four times:
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَلَا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ وَاَللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إلَّا بِاَللَّهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيمِ
Translation: “Glorified is Allah, all praise be to Allah, there is no deity that should be worshiped except Allah, Allah is great and there is no power to leave bad and no power to do good except from Allah the Great and Majestic.”
It is said that this replaces tahiyat, as well as prostration (sajdah) performed when reading the Qur'an or for the purpose of thanking Allah. But if it is possible to perform ablution, then this prayer does not replace tahiyat, but from the words of Imam al-Ghazali, cited in his book “Ihyau Ulumi Ddin”, the opposite is understood.
If on Friday a Muslim enters the mosque while the imam is reading a sermon (khutbah), then he should perform namaz-tahiyat.
The hadith cited by at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasai, Hakim and others says: “When one of you enters the mosque, let him not sit down until he has completed two rak’ah prayers.”
Namaz-tahiyat is a real sunnah (sunnatun muakkadatun). It is also allowed to be performed during periods when it is undesirable to perform prayers. But if you missed it, then there is no need to compensate.
The intention is pronounced like this: “I intend to perform namaz-tahiyat.”
The purpose of the tahiyat prayer is to exalt the owner of the mosque - Allah Almighty, and not to exalt the mosque itself, and if a person intends to exalt the mosque itself while observing the tahiyat prayer, his prayer is not counted. When making an intention, even if we pronounce it as follows (I intend to perform a two-rakah prayer for the exaltation of the mosque), we must have in mind the exaltation not of the mosque itself, but of its Owner, that is, Allah Almighty.
Muhammad Khalikov
Teacher at the Dagestan Theological Institute named after. Said-afandi
According to the Hanafis and Malikis, performing all fard prayers, except the Juma prayer, is the sunnat of muakkad for every physically healthy and sane man. Based on this rule, we can conclude that it is not necessary for women, children, the mentally ill, the sick, prisoners, the elderly and the disabled to visit the mosque to perform Friday prayers. The order to perform namaz in society comes from the hadith “ Congregational prayer is superior to prayer (performed in the market or at home) by more than twenty degrees.”
According to the Shafiites, performing prayers in a collective form is fard kifayah for every clothed (having clothes to cover their nakedness), free person who permanently resides in a certain area. Thus, the performance of prayers by the entire community has become a symbol of Islam. Consequently, if in any locality all the inhabitants do not attend common prayer, the Muslim state can take the most severe measures against them, including armed struggle. Muhammad (PBUH) said: “ “If any three (people living) in a village or in the desert do not perform (common) prayer, Satan will certainly prevail over them, and therefore you must not move away from society, for the wolf devours only the sheep that moves away (from the rest) "
This same verse is supported by another:
“And bow your heads along with those who bowed before Me.”
In addition to these verses, the Hanbalis rely on other hadiths. Here is one of them: " I swear by the One in whose hand my soul is, I would like to order to collect wood, then order to call (people) to prayer, then order someone to be an imam, and then appear to those people (who did not come to prayer) and burn them the house is completely gone!
According to the Hanafis and Shafi'is, for the congregational prayer to be valid, there must be three people together with the imam. Even a sleeping baby can be included in this number, since the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), performing tahajjud prayer, was the imam for little Ibn Abbas (radiyallahu anhu). Another time, Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Two or more people are a jamaat.”
Women visiting mosques
It is advisable to perform fard prayers in the mosque, and nafil - at home. Addressing the faithful, the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “ O people, pray in your homes, for truly, apart from the obligatory prayers, the best prayer is that which a person performs in his own home.” The preference for mosques for performing namaz is explained by the fact that mosques are always distinguished by their purity and holiness, as well as by the fact that they symbolize the unity and strength of Muslims and testify to the multitude of believers.
However, from the point of view of visiting mosques, completely different rules have been developed for women, unlike men.
Elderly women are allowed to visit mosques to perform prayers in a group. As for young women, their walking (on the streets) can cause various rumors and conversations, so visiting mosques is makrooh for them.
According to Abu Hanifa, there is nothing reprehensible in elderly women attending Fajr prayer, Maghrib prayer and Iisha prayer. But when attending daytime prayers, such as Zuhr and Asr, they can arouse interest in the opposite sex and cause trouble. Usually in the morning, hypocrites and spoiled people sleep soundly, and in the evening, during Maghrib prayers, they are busy eating. Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad believed that older women could easily visit mosques to perform all prayers and even issued a special fatwa on this issue.
Shafi'is and Hanbalis believe that visiting men's jamaats by women (both young and old, both beautiful and unattractive) is makrooh. The Malikis also include here even those women of advanced age who cannot in any way arouse the interest of men.
Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) informed his companions that women could attend mosques, but at the same time he made a note that the prayer performed at home is better for them. Here are some hadiths: “Don't ban women from visiting mosques. But (staying) at home is preferable for them.” The following hadith says: “If your spouse asks you for permission to go to the mosque in the evening, do not refuse them.” Another hadith said that women should not attend jamaats after using incense.
As reported by the Ummah Sallama (radiyallahu anha), the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) once said: “The best woman is the one who has a mosque at home.”
Valid reasons for not going to the mosque
Unless there are any special circumstances, it is best to perform prayers regularly with the community. But in the following cases, non-attendance to the mosque is permitted:
1. If a person is so seriously ill or unable to move that he cannot even do tayammum or he is blind. A slight headache, a slight increase in temperature, or paralysis of some limbs in which one can move cannot be considered a valid reason.
The basis for this position is the following verse of the Quran, where Allah commanded: “He does not place any burdens on you.” It is also known that Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not attend the mosque when he was ill and told his loved ones the following: “Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer!”
Therefore, patients; weak and helpless people; disabled people without limbs; very old and elderly people; and blind people may not attend mosques.
2. If there is fear for your life, for your property or for your honor, or there is a possibility that the illness will worsen after visiting the mosque. Once the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Whoever, having heard the sounds of the adhan, does not answer (does not go to the mosque) without a good reason, his prayer is invalid.” Then the companions asked: “O Rasulullah! What constitutes “uzr” (good reason)?” He replied as follows: "Fear or illness."
3. You don’t have to go to the mosque for Friday prayers in rainy weather, when there is mud in the yard, in severe cold and in the heat at lunchtime. And also if there is a strong wind or dense darkness outside at night. The following words are narrated by Abdullah b. Umara (radiyallahu anhu): “When we were with Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and it was very dark outside or there was impassable mud, the herald would announce: “Perform prayer near your animals!”
Snow and hail are also considered valid reasons not to go to the mosque.
4. If a person feels a strong urge to fulfill a small or large need, since such states interfere with the peaceful and soulful performance of prayer. It is also considered a valid reason if your favorite dish is ready and you feel hungry or thirsty.
5. After eating food whose smell is difficult to get rid of. For example, a person who has eaten onions or garlic should not go out into society until the smell passes, for Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) ordered: “If one of you has eaten onions or garlic, let him not come near us, let him not come to our mosque, and let him sit at home!”
6. Being in custody or being deprived of liberty because Allah has commanded: “And God will not lay a load on a soul that is greater than it can lift.”
7. Engage in the study and teaching of religion, as well as solving religious issues and interpreting theological texts. For example, study or teach fiqh. But it is extremely wrong to constantly neglect the jamaat as a result of such activities. A person who, due to laziness or not attaching much importance, does not attend mosques, is subject to a special penalty in the form of caning. In addition, the evidence of such a person is not taken into account during trials. But if someone does not attend mosques only because the imam is not distinguished by virtuous behavior, his actions are not subject to punishment.
Whoever sincerely wishes to perform namaz in a group, but due to various circumstances cannot attend the jamaat, will definitely be awarded sawab for his intentions.
Summarizing the above, the Hanafis have developed 18 points according to which people, for a good reason, may not go to the mosque. These are rain, cold, fear, darkness, being in custody, blindness, paralysis, lack of arms and legs, illness, scabies, dirt, weakness, old age, practicing fiqh, the readiness of the desired dish, going on a journey, caring for the sick, strong wind . As for the wind during the day, this is not considered a valid reason, since the ability to have a wide vision makes it possible to protect against all sorts of unpleasant incidents.
Repeated performance of namaz by the jamaat in the mosque
Repeated reading of the azan and iqama, performing namaz in a group in one of the neighborhood mosques is considered makrooh. A quarterly mosque is a mosque that has a specific imam and an established community. But repeating congregational prayers in a mosque under the following circumstances is not makrooh:
1. If prayer is performed in a neighborhood mosque by a group of people who do not live in the area.
2. If the residents of this quarter perform namaz, after reading the azan quietly.
3. Performing prayer without reading the azan and iqama.
4. If the mosque is located along the road.
5. If there is no permanent imam and muezzin in this mosque, as a result of which people perform namaz separately.
The undesirability of repeating the same prayer goes back to the following episode that happened at the dawn of Islam: One day the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) went to one area to reconcile people between whom differences arose. When he returned, he learned that Muslims had performed prayers in a group. He immediately went to his home, and, having gathered his household, performed prayer with them. If it would be possible to perform the jamaat prayer again in the mosque, Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would prefer to perform the prayer in the mosque.
I met the Blue Mosque on my very first day in Istanbul. Then we settled in a small private hotel near Sultanahmet Square, located in the center of the city district of the same name.
In my opinion, the Sultanahmet area is the optimal place to stay for your first acquaintance with Istanbul. Everything is close here, once again you won’t need to waste time and money on transport, and if you plan to visit places that are more distant from the center and not very popular with tourists, then the main transport interchanges are just a stone’s throw away - Sikherdzhi station, bus station, piers, where ferries depart from.
Here you can not only admire world-famous attractions such as the Sultanahmet Camiil - also known as the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia Museum (Ayasofya Müzesi), the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici), the Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Saray Müzesi), the Archaeological Museum (Istanbul) Arkeoloji Müseleri), Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art (Türk Islam Eserleri Müzesi), Roksolana Baths (Ayasofya Hürrem Sultan Hamami), Grand Bazaar ( Kapalıçarşı), but also just wander through the narrow streets, look at the Ottoman mansions, shop windows and cafes.
The next morning we went for a walk. They didn’t plot the route using the navigator, almost didn’t look at the map, they walked, as they say, on a whim - still nearby, two steps away. They simply set a course for Sultanahmet Square and, sticking to it, deviated a little, went into alleys, looked at houses and shop windows.
Thus, after about an hour we found ourselves at the Blue Mosque, but not at its main entrance:
This view opens from this very arch:
Of course, this is not the most traditional way to get acquainted with a masterpiece of world architecture, but looking at the mosque from this side, for some reason I am imbued with its grandeur and majesty even more than at the main gate.
Helpful information. How to find where to login
As already mentioned, the Blue Mosque is located in the very center of the historical Sultanahmet district.
To the square Sultanahmet (Sultanahmet ) can be reached by tram branches T1"Zeytinburnu" - "Kabatash" (" Zeitinburnu" - "Kabatas"), stretching across almost the entire historical center of the city.
You need to get off at the stop called " Sultanahmet. Blue Mosque ".
The Blue Mosque has 3 entrances.
Entrance A “looks” directly at the Hagia Sophia, where it is the most crowded. It looks like this:
And this is the view from Hagia Sophia:
Entrance B is located on the side of the Hippodrome, which is located to the right of entrance A (if you are facing it), immediately behind the shopping rows:
As you can see, there are very few people here.
Entrance C is special. Above him, unlike the others, hangs a chain. At one time, this entrance could be used by the Sultan, who rode into the courtyard of the mosque without getting off his horse. And in order to show your humility and respect for Allah, to emphasize your insignificance before him, you had to bend down every time, passing under a low-hanging chain.
Entrance C is also located on the side of the Hippodrome, a little further from Entrance B, almost opposite the Egyptian Obelisk:
This is the view from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, located directly opposite the S entrance.
Personal impressions. Excursions and guides
As I already wrote, we ended up in the courtyard of the mosque in a non-traditional way. And while we were looking around, being impressed and taking pictures of everything, a man came up to us and said that the entrance for tourists was a little further. We, in fact, did not intend to enter there; we saw a sign:
(“entrance for visitors is to the right, for worshipers - to the left, here”).
Nevertheless, they thanked him and moved on to the entrance for guests. But the restless man decided that we needed to give valuable instructions regarding the shoes that needed to be removed upon entering, and at the same time began to skillfully insert various historical “interests” into the text of the “instructions.” We had already begun to understand that such persistent care of us was nothing more than business, but the guy was pleasant, spoke good English, and we, still euphoric after the first day, succumbed to his persistence.
He walked us to the entrance, reminded us to take off our shoes, showed us where to put them, gave us a tour, answered our questions, offered to take photos of us and, of course, left us his business card in case we wanted to walk around other places with him. historical sites of the Sultanahmet area.
At the end of the excursion, we realized that the price should have been agreed upon at the beginning - his services cost 5 euros / 15 TL (Turkish lira) per person, which is not cheap, considering that entrance to the mosque is free, and no more information was received than in articles in guidebooks such as Dorling Kindersley and Orange Guide.
Later, in “especially tourist” places, we often encountered this way of doing business. It seems that they are not offering you anything bad, but they are not doing it in an open way, and in itself this is not very pleasant.
There is no need to be afraid or embarrassed to refuse services that you do not need; you will not offend anyone by doing this, but you will not get an unpleasant aftertaste from the fact that they were imposed on you. We did not blame ourselves for being confused, but regarded this episode as a new experience.
If you want to use the services of a guide, you should take care of this in advance, for example:
- buy a tour at the tourist information center (it is located on the same Sultanahmet Square, next to the tram stop);
- find on the Internet. There are a sufficient number of offers for the request “individual guide in Istanbul” - read, choose according to your taste, contact the guide;
- It is possible to book an excursion on the spot in museums. Mosques, of course, do not have this service.
Opening hours of the Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque is open daily from 9:00 to 18:00, but is closed to tourists during prayer times.
Prayer (namaz) is performed five times a day; its time depends on the position of the sun in the sky and, accordingly, cannot be constant.
A very approximate time interval for the start of prayers:
5-6 am, 9-10 am, noon, 4-5 pm, 7-8 pm.
There are also Friday and holiday prayers.
In any case, the muezzins announce the beginning of prayer, or more precisely, the invitation to it - their call is heard from the minarets of all mosques throughout the city.
It is interesting that the call to prayer does not occur at once, but with a slight “overlap” - starting at one point in the city, it, like a relay race, passes from one mosque to another and at some point, merging together, covers the entire city.
Entrance to all mosques in the city is free.
Rules for visiting mosques
The Blue Mosque is operational, like the vast majority of mosques in the city (there are about three thousand in total!). When visiting mosques, you must follow the following rules:
- clothing should cover the body as much as possible (trousers, not shorts; a skirt below the knees; preferably long sleeves at the top of the clothing);
- Women must cover their heads (coverings are provided);
- You need to take off your shoes at the entrance to the mosque.
Good advice
If you are in Istanbul in winter and plan to often go to mosques and look at their interiors, I recommend taking care of warm socks - a little cooler outside, and your feet will start to freeze.
Personal observations
I would like to note that during our numerous visits to mosques, we have never encountered any discontent from parishioners and ministers; I have never been reprimanded if I had my head uncovered. I noticed that believers really come to prayer, and they don’t care about tourists.
History of the Blue Mosque
Sultanahmet Mosque ( Sultanahmet Kamil), or the Blue Mosque (tur. Mavi Сami - Blue Mosque, Gök Sami - heavenly mosque), as Europeans later began to call it, was built by order of the young Sultan Ahmet I at the beginning of the 17th century.
After more than a century of growth and prosperity of the Ottoman Empire, a significant increase in its territories in the east and south, and the end of the reign of the great commander and reformer Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman Empire began to lose its strength and power.
In 1606, the war with Austria was lost, and the Turks had to recognize the Habsburg imperial title; At the same time, there was a war with Iran, which took away strength, and ultimately led to the defeat of the Turks.
These and other reasons could not but affect the weakening of Turkey’s power and, accordingly, the internal mood in the state.
In 1609, the young Sultan decided that the time had come to turn to Allah for help, but first he needed to pay him tribute for his sins. Building a mosque is the best way. Any Muslim knows that a person who builds a mosque will be rewarded for it at the end of his life.
Therefore, Sultan Akhmet decided to build not just a mosque, but a mosque worthy of Allah himself, for which he invited Sedefkar Mehmet Agha, the most talented student of Haji Sinan, one of the best architects of his era.
They decided to build the mosque on the site of the palace of the Byzantine emperors, directly opposite the former Hagia Sophia. For this, the palace and many of its buildings that belonged to the nobility were destroyed. There was nothing left of the spectator seats at the Hippodrome.
In the Istanbul Archaeological Museum in the “Byzantine era on the territory of Istanbul” hall (1st floor, hall No. 3) you can see the remains of the palace of the Byzantine emperors, as well as its virtual reconstruction. The scale is truly impressive!
It is difficult to say whether the young sultan wanted to challenge the “ghost” of Constantinople in the person of the majestic Hagia Sophia, or whether his main goal was to appease Allah with the construction of such a grandiose structure, surpassing in size and richness of interior decoration all existing buildings, including those remaining from the Byzantine times
The Sultan’s sincere faith in the mercy of Allah is also confirmed by the fact that he allocated money for the construction of the mosque from his personal treasury, and did not use the state treasury. Usually his predecessors built mosques with money earned in wars, but Akhmet did not win a single significant victory.
Construction of the mosque lasted seven years - from 1609 to 1616.
Sultan Ahmet I lived another year after construction was completed, and died of typhus at the age of 27 and was buried in the garden of the mosque.
Architecture of the Blue Mosque
The architecture of the Sultanahmet Mosque combines Byzantine and classical Ottoman styles. At first glance, the Sultanahmet Mosque seems to reflect the monumental Hagia Sophia. A little more “modern”, a little more streamlined, but its proportions, cascading domes and majesty definitely make it clear the similarities between these monumental creations
If you take a closer look, you will see a fundamental difference, perceptible in the details.
Blue Mosque:
Hagia Sophia:
To make it more convincing, you can imagine what it looked like without minarets:
The style of architecture is determined not only by forms, but by a whole variety of factors. This is the spirit of the time, materials, and the internal content of the architectural space.
For those who are interested in comparing Byzantine cathedrals with mosques, I suggest you look at the monuments of Orthodox architecture in Istanbul, which are carefully preserved and restored whenever possible: the Cathedral of St. Irene, the Church of the Savior in Chora (Kariye Müzesi), the Pantocrator Monastery and others.
The base of the Blue Mosque in architectural terms is a rectangle with sides 72x64 meters, it is easy to calculate that its area is 4608 square meters! The courtyard occupies exactly the same amount of space.
Such a large territory is due not only to the desire to demonstrate its scale, but is also used for practical and noble purposes - in addition to the mosque, there was a whole complex of buildings: a hospital, kitchens, madrassas, a caravanserai and some charitable institutions. In the 19th century, they were all destroyed, but the madrasah is still in operation. It is located in the east wing.
Madrasah - lit. “place of study” - a Muslim educational institution in which the high school program is combined with the program of the Muslim theological seminary.
In the center of the courtyard there is a hexagonal fountain for ablutions:
Today the fountain is decorative. Those who come to prayer perform ablutions before entering the courtyard, using, of course, not a fountain, but a modern water supply.
The Legend of the Six Minarets
The most common legend about why Sultanahmet has six minarets says that Mehmet Aga allegedly misheard when he listened to the Sultan’s instructions and instead of “altyn minare” (tur. altın minareler - golden minarets) heard “alty minare” (tur. altı minareli - six minarets).
It is hard to believe that the architect is hard of hearing, especially since the Sultan personally supervised the construction of the mosque, appearing every Friday for its construction.
The version that sounds more plausible is that the Sultan deliberately decided to go against all laws in order to surpass the importance and grandeur of Hagia Sophia, which at that time was the main mosque of the city and had four minarets (the maximum possible number).
When the construction was completed, the imams ( imam - cleric in charge of a mosque) were indignant at such audacity of the young Sultan and accused him of pride - after all, the Forbidden Mosque in Mecca had the same number of minarets - the maximum possible number! Sultan Ahmet did not change anything in his brainchild, and in order to remain Mecca, he paid for the construction of the seventh minaret for the Forbidden Mosque.
The conflict was resolved, and the Blue Mosque to this day flaunts its six minarets, directed upward, remaining one of a kind - exalted, elegant and majestic.
Numbers
Four minarets stand at the corners of the mosque and have three balconies each.
The two minarets are located at the end of the square and have two balconies each. The height of each minaret is 64 meters.
Interior of the Blue Mosque
Space and light
The first thing that catches your eye when you get inside is the huge space and its lighting.
The light in the mosque is dim, but at the same time there is enough light to give the colors the opportunity to play on the patterns of the tiles. This is truly a unique experience.
The trick is that the volumetric space is illuminated through small windows, some of which are covered with stained glass. Those. the space is illuminated as if in parts, the light is focused on a small area, but due to the number of these “foci”, the illusion of its dispersion is created.
It looks something like putting 50 candles in a room, each illuminating a small object, and turning off the central lighting.
The mosque also has central lighting. This is a huge chandelier-candlestick, suspended under the main dome and with a diameter no less than it.
Long chains lower it very low, and in the proportions of the mosque it looks almost lying on the floor.
The floor is covered with a huge carpet. It is not blue at all, but red, more precisely the color of garnet, with traditional floral fragments:
I still remember the pleasant feeling of walking on it - clean, soft, cool.
Numbers
The central hall measuring 53.50x49.47 (2646 m2) can accommodate 35,000 people at a time.
The height of the central dome is 43 meters, and its diameter is 23.5 meters.
The diameter of each column (there are four of them) on which the dome rests is 5 meters.
There are 260 windows in the Blue Mosque, and those that frame the dome are placed in such a way that it creates the illusion of it being suspended, floating in the air:
Iznik miracle
Iznik is a small city known since ancient times as Nicaea and at one time played a large role in the development of Christianity.
At the beginning of the 14th century, it was captured by the Turks and received a new name, which it bears to this day. From the end of the 15th century, the city began to develop the production of unique ceramics, which subsequently made it famous. At the time of construction of the mosque, there was no better choice for decorating its interior than tiles from Iznik, and while the mosque was being built (and this happened over the course of seven years), the Sultan was forbidden to supply them to other customers. Samples for the mosque were supplied regularly, but the work was not paid very well, and, unfortunately, the factory's business gradually fell into disrepair. But that is another story…
The interior of the mosque is irresistible thanks mainly to the famous Iznik ceramics, its handmade tiles, the main colors of which are blue, white and garnet. It is due to the combination of these colors, the predominant of which is blue and its shades, that the impression of heavenly airiness and lightness is created.
The main motif of the drawings is floral ornament. Tulips, hyacinths, pomegranate flowers. Unfortunately, I did not have any photographs with individual images of the tiles of the Blue Mosque, only a general view:
But in the Rustem Pasha Mosque, the interior of which is also tiled from Iznik, I bought a set of postcards with floral motifs. Here are a few as examples:
Numbers
To decorate the interior of the Sultan Ahmet Mosque, 21,043 tiles from more than 50 different samples were required.
Mihrab and minbar
Mihrab is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the direction to Mecca.
In the Sultanahmet Mosque, it is carved from a single piece of white marble, decorated with exquisite carvings.
A piece of Black Stone from the Kaaba is inserted into the frame of the mihrab.
The Kaaba is a Muslim shrine in the form of a cubic structure in the courtyard of the Holy Mosque in Mecca. According to legend, this is the first structure erected by people to serve God.
Note
I repeat that the Blue Mosque is the second name of the Sultanahmet Mosque, as the Turks say, this is the “nickname” given to it by the Europeans. They themselves call her Sultanahmet or Ahmedie!
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