Suleymaniye Mosque- İstanbul / Turkey
The stunning silhouettes of Faith & Suleymaniye mosques leave an indelible impression on visitors to Istanbul , with their graceful domes and slender minarets sprouting from the edifice like delicate stalks of asparagus. The Fatih Mosque is the sanctuary of the imperial complex built by Mehmed II to commemorate his conquest of Constantinople in 1453. A new mosque was built in its place after an earthquake in 1767. The mosque was actually a beehive of social activity which incorporated many other public spaces including a school, library, hospital, a sort of motel for merchants, a hamam (Turkish bath) and a cemetery: some of which are functioning to this day. Incorporated in the new mosque are Baroque decorations typical of XVIII century Ottoman mosques. On Wednesdays just outside of the Fatih mosque there is a busy street market worth visiting.