Istanbul, as well as the whole of Turkey, is very rich in amazing and incredibly interesting sights. They give the journey to this eastern country an indelible imprint. There are many must-see places here, because Turkey is not only a beach holiday, but also a corner on the planet where many cultures have left their mark.
Overview
The main collection of attractions in Istanbul is located in the Sultanahmet district, near the small park of the same name. The Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, the 17th-century Blue Mosque, and several palaces, including Dolmabahce and Topkapi, are all within walking distance.
All the sights of the capital of Turkey amaze with their luxury and majesty, they are unique and inimitable.
Beautiful legend
One of the unique historical monuments is a mosque in Istanbul, bearing the name of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska - the beloved wife of the SultanSuleiman. The legend says that as a result of one of the raids, the Crimean Tatars captured the fifteen-year-old beauty Nastya Lisovskaya, the daughter of a priest from a small Ukrainian farm. The girl, brought to Turkey, was immediately put up for sale at the famous slave market in Istanbul. By coincidence, Nastya was bought for the harem by the still young Sultan Suleiman, who at that time was only 26 years old. The charming smile of the girl and her cheerful nature immediately attracted the attention of the ruler. The Sultan fell in love with the slave with all his heart. He called her Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska ("cheerful"). European diplomats visiting Istanbul spoke of her as Roksolana, thereby emphasizing the Slavic origin of the beloved woman of the great Sultan.
Where is the Hurrem Sultan Mosque
Coming to Istanbul and not seeing her would be a big crime. Moreover, today some enterprising travel agencies even offer special tours to places mentioned in the famous TV series “The Magnificent Century”. But you can see the Hurrem Sultan Mosque in Istanbul on your own. It is located in the European part of the Turkish capital in the Fatih district on Haseki Cd.
Judging by the reviews, many of our tourists who visited Istanbul tried to walk around the city as much as possible on foot. After all, here at every step you can find historical monuments and cultural sites. However, those who do not like long walks can get to the Hürrem Sultan Mosque by light rail. Getting off at the stop "Yusuf Pasha", you need tobeautiful pedestrian bridge to go to Haseki street. After walking along it a few hundred meters towards the sea, on the left side in the direction of travel you can see the entrance to the mosque of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan.
Earlier, this area of Istanbul was called "Avrat Pazari", which means "women's market" in Turkish. After the construction was completed, it was renamed "Haseki". This name has survived to this day as a reminder of the beautiful Roksolana. The history of this amazing attraction goes back to the sixteenth century.
Charity complex
The Mosque of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan was built by Sultan Suleiman for his wife, who is known in Europe as Roksolana. She became the first harem concubine in the history of Turkey, who managed not only to become the legal wife of the ruler, but also to gain unprecedented power. Intoxicated by love for this beautiful and at the same time incredibly smart woman, the Sultan violated the centuries-old traditions.
The word “Haseki” is often added to the name of this Turkish historical object. Literally translated, this means "beloved woman from the Sultan's harem of the Sultan."
Using the unprecedented grace of Suleiman, the young concubine wished to build a religious building on the site of the slave market, where she herself had once been brought by the Crimean Tatars. The complex, according to her idea, should have included both the Hurrem Sultan Mosque itself, as well as primary and high schools, a canteen for the poor and a hospital. Roksolana created a fund and after completionconstruction of the temple on its own behalf began to build charitable facilities. The grandeur of the complex should not have been inferior to such great mosques as Suleymaniye and Fatih.
However, in fairness, it should be noted that in terms of its scale it turned out to be somewhat smaller than the two named.
The concubine's grand idea
The uniqueness of the plan conceived by Roksolana, or Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, was that the former concubine was able to independently give the order to build charitable institutions directly in the main city of the Ottoman Empire. Other official wives and mothers of Suleiman's eldest sons were allowed to build only small mosques in those provinces where the ruler's heirs became governors after reaching their majority.
The Hürrem Sultan Mosque in Istanbul had another feature: Haseki planned the construction on the site of the former female slave market. With this decision, she wanted to permanently "erase" the memories of her own humiliation.
Description
Mosque Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan began to build in 1538. The construction was completed in 1551. When the construction work was completed, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan, having created her own fund, began to implement her grandiose project with the money raised. She created a charitable complex - küllie, which became the third largest in Istanbul.
Hyurrem Sultan Mosque (Turkey) became the first such project of the already quite famous architect at that timeMimar Sinana. He worked not only on the building of the mosque itself, but on the entire religious complex. The küllie also includes a hospital, a madrasah and a primary school, a kitchen for the poor, bathhouses, etc.
The buildings of the charitable complex built by Roksolana are still functioning. One of them houses the city hospital, the other houses shops and cafes. The history of the Hurrem Sultan Mosque testifies that in the sixteenth century this religious object was the main one in Istanbul. The former appearance of the complex has been preserved in its magnificent grandeur to this day.
This historical site is of particular interest to tourists not only because of its beauty and uniqueness, but also because it is here that one of the largest operating hammams, and recently restored, is located. Hurrem Sultan Mosque and the charitable part of the complex are separated by a narrow Haseki street. They suffered several times from fires and earthquakes. But each time the buildings were restored in their original appearance.
Architecture
Initially, the Hurrem Sultan Mosque was a small cube-shaped building with one dome. But already in 1612 the back wall was demolished. It was decided to add another hall with a vaulted ceiling to the building.
And instead of the old wall, an arch was made with round columns of dark marble at the base. From above, the building of this mosque in Istanbul was closed with another dome. During the construction process, the stones were very tightly fitted to each other, so there are practically no seams between them.noticeably. The walls of the Hurrem Sultan Mosque are covered with porcelain tiles. The mihrab pulpit inside is decorated with wooden carvings. A niche in the wall is decorated in the Baroque style and filled with "stalactites".
Information
Hürrem Sultan Mosque for tourists is open daily from 9 to 17:30. Doors are closed during prayer. The entrance is free. The Hurrem Sultan Mosque has places closed to tourists, which are warned by signs.
Women must cover their shoulders and décolleté before visiting. Shoes must be removed upon entry.
In conclusion
Hyurrem for the Turkish people is a real legend, overgrown with centuries-old myths. After the death of Suleiman and his wife, they were buried not in this mosque, but in mausoleums on the territory of Suleymaniye. This main mosque in Istanbul is located on the other side of the city in a picturesque cypress garden. Some other rulers, as well as their relatives and prominent figures of the state, found their last refuge here. The mausoleums of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska and Suleiman are located opposite each other in the far part of the garden.
