Ramadan decorations lights in katara.

Ortaköy Camii - Ortaköy Mosque

officially the Büyük Mecidiye Camii (Grand Imperial Mosque of Sultan Abdülmecid) in Beşiktaş, Istanbul, Turkey, is situated at the waterside of the Ortaköy pier square, one of the most popular locations on the Bosphorus. This structure is symbolic of the district of Ortaköy as it has a distinctive view of the Bosphorus Strait of Istanbul and the Bosphorus Bridge. The mosque can be viewed from the Bosphorus Cruise that is famous among tourists, to go from the Asian side of Istanbul to the European side on a ferry boat.

History
Located on the site of the present-day Ortaköy Mosque, there previously was a small masjid. Built in 1720, it was ruined during the Patrona Halil Uprising in 1731. The current mosque, which was erected in its place, was ordered by the Ottoman sultan Abdülmecid and built between 1854 and 1856, on the ruins of the Cantemir Palace. Its architects were Armenian father and son Garabet Amira Balyan and Nigoğayos Balyan (who also designed the nearby Dolmabahçe Palace and the Dolmabahçe Mosque), who designed it in the Neo-Baroque style.

The single dome of the mosque was originally built using bricks. However, the dome developed cracks throughout time and was ready to collapse, so a new dome was reconstructed using concrete. In 1894, there was an earthquake that damaged the mosque, and it also suffered a minor fire in 1984. Thus, the structure has undergone a number of repair and restoration work in its time. Today, it is in fair shape.

Features
It consists of a two-story "sultan apartment" which has a "U shaped" plan, a main venue with a square plan which is covered with one dome. The "sliced facades" with mounting columns are "enriched" by carvings as well as relief, giving the mosque a "dynamic appearance". There are two rows of windows providing the main venue a "good illumination"

The mosque is "pint-sized" in comparison to other mosques "on the other side of the golden horn". The mosque was built in Neo-baroque style. In terms of the interior space, this mosque is modest in scale, though the inside is quite spacious with its wide, "high bay windows" which refract its reflection in water as well as daylight. Floral patterned frescoes adorn the inside of the singular dome, along with "niche-like" windows bordered by imitation curtains. Materials like marble were used to build the mihrab and minbar, pink mosaics were also used to decorate the Mihrab. The reconstructed dome was built from concrete, while stone was used to build the two, slim minarets.

There are also several panels of calligraphy executed by Abdülmecid I himself, as he was a calligrapher along with being a sultan.

The German city of Frankfurt was decorated with lights on March 10 to celebrate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in what local media said was a nationwide first.

A large sign reading "Happy Ramadan" and a display of lights in the shape of stars, lanterns and crescent moons were formally unveiled in an evening ceremony, illuminating a pedestrianised street in the city centre lined with restaurants and cafes.

According to local officials and German media, it was the first time a German city had put up street illuminations for Ramadan.

The western city of Frankfurt, Germany's financial hub with a population of more than 750,000 people, is home to around 100,000 Muslims.

With ceasefire talks at a standstill, the hunger and humanitarian crises worsening across the enclave, and no end in sight to the five months of constant Israeli bombardment, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan has arrived in Palestine’s Gaza.

During Ramadan this year, many Palestinians already struggling with hunger are breaking their fast amid the rubble of demolished buildings in Gaza where food shortages – a direct result of the Israeli onslaught – have become more acutely felt with the start of Ramadan.

Even where food is available, there is little beyond canned food, and the prices of already scarce food are too high for many, in contrast to previous years when families would ordinarily break their daily fasts with feasts.

"We made no preparations to welcome Ramadan because we have been fasting for five months now," said Maha, a mother of five, who would normally have decorated her home and stocked her refrigerator with supplies for the evening iftar celebrations, when people break their fast.

Swipe to see the different iftar gatherings in Gaza throughout the years.

Prishtina is decorated in honor of the month of Ramadan!

Also this year, in honor of the month of Ramadan, a part of the city of Pristina will be decorated.

This initiative was realized for the first time last year, where present at the lighting of the lights were the president of the Islamic Community of Kosovo, Mufti Naim ef. Tërnava and the mayor of Pristina Përparim Rama.

They agreed that in the following years this initiative will be expanded to other parts of Pristina, creating a pleasant environment for believers and tourists.
TAURUS

A Palestinian family living in refugee camps in Rafah decorated their tents in preparation for Ramadan ‍

The Minaret of Jam
It is located in a remote and nearly inaccessible region of the Shahrak District, Ghor Province, next to the Hari River, Afghanistan.

The word minaret is Arabic [منارة] and it means lighthouse and also means the tower next to a mosque from which the muezzin calls the faithful to prayer.

The 65metre (213 ft) high minaret was built around 1190.

Covered in elaborate brickwork with a blue tile inscription at the top, it is noteworthy for the quality of its architecture and decoration, which represent the culmination of an architectural and artistic tradition in this region.

•The Minaret of Jam belongs to a group of around 60 minarets and towers built between the 11th and the 13th centuries in Central Asia, Iran and Afghanistan.

•The archaeological site of Jam was successfully nominated as Afghanistan's first World Heritage site in 2002.

•It was also inscribed in UNESCO's list of World Heritage in Danger.

•In 2014, the BBC reported that the tower was in imminent danger of collapse.

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Photos by David Adamec (public domain)

The Büyük Mecidiye or Ortaköy Mosque is easy to appreciate and hard to forget. Painted in opulent shades of crimson, blue, and green and glistening with gold calligraphy, the mosque will have you filled with affection for its grandeur and opulent decoration.

Pro tip: With its unique location under one side of the Bosphorus Bridge, the Ortaköy Mosque is one of the best photography spots in İstanbul. You (and your camera roll) can thank us later.

Explore more at: Selâm News

#GoTürkiye #Faith #Goİstanbul #İstanbul #OrtaköyMosque #Mosque #GoSustainable

Courtyard of Tilla Kari Madrasa in Samarkand.
Decorated with elaborate geometrical floral pattern and calligraphy.

The Mollabashi House, also known as house of Mo’tamediha, is located in #Isfahan, #Iran. Its original building was constructed during Zand dynasty with two large “panj-dari” rooms; and a part called “zemestan-neshin” that allowed the residents to make use of the winter sun.

Later in Qajar era, Mollabashi – the astronomer of Naser al-Din Shah who was sent to Isfahan on a mission – owned the house. He built the “shah-neshin”, a large room with an elevated position in the northern part of the house, and the large “noh-dari” room- the mansion’s most important, interesting parts indeed.

It is an edifice with historical base and completely new decorations; ranging from sash windows, plaster and glass work to tiles and stone cravings.
Mollabashi house has now turned into a tourist attraction. It consists of more than 10 rooms with particular features, named after months of Persian calendar.