DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26747#0530
4G6
SARACENIC ARCHITECTURE.
Book IX.
or picturesqne sketches, far more likely to mislead than to instruct;
and, indeed, it still remains for some trayeller to visit Constantinople,
with sufficient taste to discriminate what is good from what is had,
with sufficient knowledge of arckitecture to descrihe intelligihly what
he sees, and, ahove all, with sufficient. love of truth to induce him to
ascertain measurements and facts, and to record them honestly.
The earliest of the Turkish mosques is that of Mahomet II., or of
the Conqueror, as it is called (1465-69). Its dimensions seem small,
probably about 100 ft. hy 150; and I- am not aware that it is distin-
guished hy any architectural peculiarity, though as the first it would
form an interesting commencement to the series, if it were known and
could be estimated.
The next in the series is that of Soliman the Magnificent (1530-
55), which is prohahly tlie finest in
many respects of those huilt hy the
Turks in Constantinople. As will he
seen from the annexed plan (copied
from Grelot) it. is nearly a square—
227 ft. hy 234, it is said—and, except
in the absence of the apse and smaller
width of the side aisles, it is nearly
an exact copj7' of Sta. Sophia, in so far
at least as its general ordinance is
concerned.
Tlie great dome, whicli seems to
he ahout 100 ft. in diameter, is sup-
ported hy four great piers of masonry,
supporting four arches. The corners
of the square made hy tkese arches
are filled up wit.li pendentives, on which
the clome itself is placed. Against
two of t.hese arclies are placed two
semi-domes, of the same diameter as
the great one—which, with tlie thick-
ness of the pier arches, make up the
wliole intemal length of tlie mosque.
Between the other two arches of the
great clome are placed great granite
pillars of one block each, said to he
60 ft. in height, joined by arches, on
wkick rests a wall-space filling up the
side arches of the dome; and in these
walls are placed the principal win-
dows that light the centre of the
building. There does not seem to he
any second gallery, and altogether
the arrangement seems to he a con-
siderahle improvemcnt on tkat of Sta. Sophia.
In front of the mosque is a square court with a fountain in the
363. Mosque of Soliman. From Grelot's
Constantinople. No scale.
SARACENIC ARCHITECTURE.
Book IX.
or picturesqne sketches, far more likely to mislead than to instruct;
and, indeed, it still remains for some trayeller to visit Constantinople,
with sufficient taste to discriminate what is good from what is had,
with sufficient knowledge of arckitecture to descrihe intelligihly what
he sees, and, ahove all, with sufficient. love of truth to induce him to
ascertain measurements and facts, and to record them honestly.
The earliest of the Turkish mosques is that of Mahomet II., or of
the Conqueror, as it is called (1465-69). Its dimensions seem small,
probably about 100 ft. hy 150; and I- am not aware that it is distin-
guished hy any architectural peculiarity, though as the first it would
form an interesting commencement to the series, if it were known and
could be estimated.
The next in the series is that of Soliman the Magnificent (1530-
55), which is prohahly tlie finest in
many respects of those huilt hy the
Turks in Constantinople. As will he
seen from the annexed plan (copied
from Grelot) it. is nearly a square—
227 ft. hy 234, it is said—and, except
in the absence of the apse and smaller
width of the side aisles, it is nearly
an exact copj7' of Sta. Sophia, in so far
at least as its general ordinance is
concerned.
Tlie great dome, whicli seems to
he ahout 100 ft. in diameter, is sup-
ported hy four great piers of masonry,
supporting four arches. The corners
of the square made hy tkese arches
are filled up wit.li pendentives, on which
the clome itself is placed. Against
two of t.hese arclies are placed two
semi-domes, of the same diameter as
the great one—which, with tlie thick-
ness of the pier arches, make up the
wliole intemal length of tlie mosque.
Between the other two arches of the
great clome are placed great granite
pillars of one block each, said to he
60 ft. in height, joined by arches, on
wkick rests a wall-space filling up the
side arches of the dome; and in these
walls are placed the principal win-
dows that light the centre of the
building. There does not seem to he
any second gallery, and altogether
the arrangement seems to he a con-
siderahle improvemcnt on tkat of Sta. Sophia.
In front of the mosque is a square court with a fountain in the
363. Mosque of Soliman. From Grelot's
Constantinople. No scale.