Blue Mosque, Istanbul - Quiz
Blue Mosque Istanbul
  • 1. When was much of the mosque interior's painted decoration replaced by new stenciled paintwork?
A) 1883
B) 2018
C) 1912
D) 2013
  • 2. What major event occurred in 1912 that damaged or destroyed several outlying structures of the mosque complex?
A) A flood
B) A major fire
C) An earthquake
D) A war
  • 3. During preparatory work in which year was it discovered that the northwest minaret had shifted 5 centimetres?
A) 2023
B) 2013
C) 2006
D) 2015
  • 4. How much had the mosque's northwest minaret shifted over time, as discovered in 2013?
A) 50 centimetres
B) 2 centimetres
C) 5 centimetres
D) 10 centimetres
  • 5. When did comprehensive restoration work on the rest of the mosque begin?
A) 2015
B) 1912
C) 2013
D) 2018
  • 6. In which month and year did the mosque reopen after comprehensive restoration?
A) November 2006
B) December 2015
C) January 2018
D) April 2023
  • 7. Who visited the mosque on 30 November 2006?
A) Pope John Paul II
B) Pope Francis
C) Pope Paul VI
D) Pope Benedict XVI
  • 8. Who was the Mufti of Istanbul during the 2006 papal visit?
A) Emrullah Hatipoğlu
B) Mimar Sinan
C) Sedefkar Mehmed Agha
D) Mustafa Çağrıcı
  • 9. Who was the Imam of the Blue Mosque during the 2006 papal visit?
A) Mustafa Çağrıcı
B) Gülru Necipoğlu
C) Emrullah Hatipoğlu
D) Doğan Kuban
  • 10. The design of the mosque is based on that of which earlier mosque?
A) Yeni Valide Mosque
B) Ballie Mosque
C) Şehzade Mosque
D) Hagia Sophia
  • 11. Who designed the Şehzade Mosque?
A) Emrullah Hatipoğlu
B) Mimar Sinan
C) Sedefkar Mehmed Agha
D) Doğan Kuban
  • 12. What area does the prayer hall occupy?
A) 23.5 by 77 metres
B) 50 by 60 metres
C) 64 by 72 metres
D) 100 by 120 metres
  • 13. What is the diameter of the mosque's central dome?
A) 23.5 metres
B) 72 metres
C) 5 centimetres
D) 64 metres
  • 14. How many semi-domes surround the central dome?
A) Three
B) Six
C) Four
D) Two
  • 15. How many smaller semi-domes or exedrae flank each of the surrounding semi-domes?
A) Three
B) Six
C) Two
D) Four
  • 16. How many minarets does the mosque have on the outside?
A) Eight
B) Four
C) Two
D) Six
  • 17. Who is the architect of the Blue Mosque?
A) Doğan Kuban
B) Sedefkar Mehmed Agha
C) Mimar Sinan
D) Mustafa Çağrıcı
  • 18. Where was the architect Sedefkar Mehmed Agha from?
A) Ankara
B) Iznik
C) Istanbul
D) Elbasan
  • 19. What other mosque did Sedefkar Mehmed Agha build in Elbasan?
A) Ballie Mosque
B) Şehzade Mosque
C) Hagia Sophia
D) Yeni Valide Mosque
  • 20. What style does the structure of the mosque reflect?
A) Gothic style
B) Modern minimalist style
C) Early Byzantine style
D) Classical Ottoman style
  • 21. The mosque incorporates aspects of Byzantine architecture from which neighboring building?
A) Şehzade Mosque
B) Hagia Sophia
C) Ballie Mosque
D) Yeni Mosque
  • 22. The Blue Mosque was the last great mosque of which historical period?
A) Baroque period
B) Classical period
C) Modern period
D) Medieval period
  • 23. Which architectural historian characterizes Mehmed Agha's style as having a more sculptural approach?
A) Doğan Kuban
B) Emrullah Hatipoğlu
C) Mimar Sinan
D) Gülru Necipoğlu
  • 24. According to Gülru Necipoğlu, what building material was used lavishly, demonstrating an emerging trend towards extravagance?
A) Marble
B) Iznik tiles
C) Gold leaf
D) Stenciled paint
  • 25. Which other mosque shares a similar lack of restraint in decoration and was completed later that same century?
A) Ballie Mosque
B) New Mosque
C) Şehzade Mosque
D) Hagia Sophia
  • 26. In which city is the Blue Mosque located?
A) Ankara
B) Bursa
C) Izmir
D) Istanbul
  • 27. During the rule of which sultan was the Blue Mosque constructed?
A) Murad III
B) Ahmed I
C) Selim II
D) Mehmed III
  • 28. Between which years was the Blue Mosque constructed?
A) 1609 and 1617
B) 1600 and 1605
C) 1574 and 1582
D) 1620 and 1630
  • 29. What is included in the mosque's külliye?
A) A large public hospital and a bazaar
B) A royal palace and a Turkish bath
C) A military barracks and a clock tower
D) Ahmed's tomb and a madrasa
  • 30. In what year was the Blue Mosque included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list?
A) 1995
B) 1985
C) 1975
D) 2000
  • 31. Under what name was the Blue Mosque included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list?
A) Ottoman Monuments of Istanbul
B) Historic Areas of Istanbul
C) Sultanahmet Cultural Heritage Site
D) Architectural Masterpieces of Turkey
  • 32. What historical event motivated Sultan Ahmed I to build a large mosque?
A) The Treaty of Lausanne
B) The Peace of Zsitvatorok
C) The Conquest of Constantinople
D) The Siege of Vienna
  • 33. Who was the last sultan before Ahmed I to build an imperial mosque?
A) Suleiman the Magnificent
B) Selim II
C) Mehmed II
D) Bayezid II
  • 34. What former structure occupied the site next to where the mosque was built?
A) Hippodrome
B) Roman Colosseum
C) Byzantine Palace
D) Ancient Theater
  • 35. What was discovered in the mosque's courtyard during 20th-century excavations?
A) The foundation of an old church
B) Roman military weapons
C) Some of the ancient seats from the Hippodrome's bleachers
D) A cache of Byzantine gold coins
  • 36. Which islamic legal scholars protested the construction of the mosque?
A) The ulema
B) The dervishes
C) The janissaries
D) The muftis
  • 37. Why did the ulema argue that sultans should fund imperial mosque construction?
A) Using profits from international trade
B) With spoils of conquest
C) With personal family wealth
D) Through voluntary public donations
  • 38. Where did Ahmed I have to divert funds from since he had won no major victories?
A) The provincial taxes
B) The treasury
C) Military reserves
D) Foreign loans
  • 39. In what year was the opening ceremony of the Blue Mosque held?
A) 1609
B) 1617
C) 1616
D) 1620
  • 40. Which scholar noted that the last accounting reports on construction were signed by Mustafa I?
A) Doğan Kuban
B) Godfrey Goodwin
C) Semavi Eyice
D) Ekrem Hakkı Ayverdi
  • 41. What helped overcome the initial public controversy over the mosque's construction?
A) Its grandeur, luxurious decoration, and elaborate public ceremonies
B) Generous gifts of food to the poor
C) The sudden defeat of Ottoman enemies
D) A royal decree forgiving all taxes
  • 42. What is the name of the neighbourhood that was named after the mosque?
A) Fatih
B) Sultanahmet
C) Eminönü
D) Beyazıt
  • 43. Where are the four semi-domes located in the mosque?
A) Over the outer courtyard
B) Around the imperial tomb
C) Above the minaret bases
D) Over the prayer hall
  • 44. What feature is located in front of the mosque?
A) A large courtyard
B) A grand obelisk
C) A large public park
D) A monumental fountain
  • 45. What effect did the mosque's location have on the city?
A) It allows it to dominate the city's skyline
B) It connects the old and new ports
C) It blocks the view of the Bosphorus strait
D) It serves as a navigational lighthouse
  • 46. What architectural feature is used to cover transitions between smaller exedrae and supporting walls or arches?
A) Mosaics
B) Pendentives
C) Frescoes
D) Muqarnas
  • 47. Which side of the prayer hall lacks the two-floor gallery because of the mihrab?
A) Northwestern side
B) Northeastern side
C) Southeastern side
D) Southwestern side
  • 48. Where are the two fountains incorporated in the mosque's prayer hall?
A) Near the main entrance
B) The two northern pillars
C) The two southern pillars
D) The eastern corners
  • 49. What material is used for the floors of the prayer hall?
A) Stone slabs
B) Wood planks
C) Carpets
D) Marble tiles
  • 50. What is the ground-level focus of the prayer hall?
A) The mihrab
B) The sultan's loge
C) The main fountain
D) The grand chandelier
  • 51. What material is used to make the mihrab?
A) Iznik tilework
B) Bronze casting
C) Painted wood
D) Finely carved marble
  • 52. What feature is located to the right of the mihrab?
A) The imperial pavilion
B) The minbar
C) The sultan's loge
D) The northern fountain
  • 53. What tops the summit of the minbar?
A) A carved wooden finial
B) A silver crescent
C) A marble dome
D) A gold-covered conical cap
  • 54. How many marble columns support the sultan's loge?
A) Four
B) Ten
C) Six
D) Twelve
  • 55. What shape does the sultan's loge platform have?
A) Square
B) U-shape
C) Circular
D) L-shape
  • 56. In what year was the auxiliary imperial pavilion structure partly destroyed by fire?
A) 1607
B) 1912
C) 1826
D) 1613
  • 57. After which ancient city is the production center of the mosque's tiles named?
A) Nicaea
B) Pergamum
C) Troy
D) Ephesus
  • 58. In what year did Sultan Ahmed I forbid the production and sale of tiles for any purpose other than his mosque?
A) 1610
B) 1613
C) 1607
D) 1912
  • 59. How many total tiles are found inside the mosque?
A) 15,420
B) 21,043
C) 11,260
D) 26,043
  • 60. Approximately what percentage of the mosque's walls above the tilework is decorated with painted motifs?
A) 50 percent
B) 90 percent
C) 75 percent
D) 60 percent
  • 61. What is the predominant colour of the paintwork above the tile level?
A) Red
B) Blue
C) Green
D) Gold
  • 62. Who originally made the calligraphic inscriptions with verses from the Qur'an in the mosque?
A) Ahmed I
B) Evliya Çelebi
C) Mehmed Agha
D) Seyyid Kasim Gubari
  • 63. Approximately how many windows does the mosque contain to admit natural light?
A) 150
B) 500
C) 260
D) 360
  • 64. How many windows are in each semi-dome?
A) 28
B) 10
C) 5
D) 14
  • 65. How many windows are in the central dome?
A) 14
B) 28
C) 4
D) 5
  • 66. What objects were traditionally added to chandeliers in the mosque, besides lamps?
A) Ostrich eggs
B) Silver bells
C) Jade roses
D) Ceramic tiles
  • 67. Where is the most monumental entrance of the courtyard located?
A) On the southeast
B) On the southwest
C) On the northeast
D) On the northwest
  • 68. What architectural feature tops the tall projecting portal of the central courtyard entrance?
A) A tall spire
B) A flat stone terrace
C) A pyramidal roof
D) A small dome raised on a drum
  • 69. What is the form of the mosque courtyard on the inside?
A) Circular rotunda
B) Classic rectangular peristyle
C) Square atrium
D) Hexagonal courtyard
  • 70. How many columns support the porticos in the courtyard?
A) 26 columns
B) 50 columns
C) 12 columns
D) 30 columns
  • 71. How many domes are above the courtyard porticos?
A) 30 domes
B) 10 domes
C) 40 domes
D) 26 domes
  • 72. What is at the center of the courtyard?
A) The shadirvan
B) An open garden
C) A tall clock tower
D) A large marble statue
  • 73. What are the outer surfaces of the shadirvan kiosk carved with?
A) Geometric star patterns
B) Calligraphic Quranic verses
C) Depictions of animals and humans
D) Low-relief foliate motifs
  • 74. What was an innovative feature regarding the placement of the water taps?
A) Their location inside the central prayer hall
B) Their connection to underground rivers
C) Their inclusion under arcaded galleries along the outer walls
D) Their use of hot water heating systems
  • 75. What hangs in the northwestern entrance to the outer precinct of the mosque?
A) A brass chandelier
B) A decorative rope
C) A heavy iron chain
D) A velvet curtain
  • 76. Which person was uniquely allowed to enter the court of the mosque on horseback?
A) The head imam
B) Foreign ambassadors
C) The sultan
D) The chief architect
  • 77. What phrase did the architect supposedly mishear as 'altı minare'?
A) büyük minareler
B) altın minareler
C) altın kubbe
D) yedi minare
  • 78. What does 'altın minareler' mean?
A) gold minarets
B) beautiful minarets
C) six minarets
D) tall minarets
  • 79. What did the Sultan supposedly order for the Mecca mosque after the architect's mistake?
A) A larger prayer hall
B) A golden dome
C) A seventh minaret
D) Two new courtyards
  • 80. What is the shape of each of the six minaret towers?
A) Smooth
B) Square
C) Octagonal
D) Fluted
  • 81. What is the Turkish term for minaret balconies used in the text?
A) minaret
B) muqarnas
C) şerefe
D) muezzin
  • 82. What supports each balcony on the minarets?
A) Stone arches
B) Muqarnas-carved corbeling
C) Wooden pillars
D) Marble columns
  • 83. Have the minarets remained unchanged throughout their history?
A) Yes, they were rebuilt once in stone
B) No, they have been repaired many times
C) No, they were completely replaced by concrete
D) Yes, they are completely original
  • 84. Who historically had to climb a narrow spiral staircase inside the minarets five times a day?
A) The Sultan
B) The architect
C) The muezzin
D) The imam
  • 85. How do the other structures of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque complex compare to previous imperial mosque complexes?
A) They are arranged in a strict geometric circle
B) They are not arranged in a regular, well-organized plan
C) They follow a identical layout to all older mosques
D) They are completely underground
  • 86. In what year was the construction of the mausoleum of Ahmed I begun?
A) 1635
B) 1619
C) 1620
D) 1609
  • 87. What is the shape of the floor plan of the tomb chamber of Ahmed I's mausoleum?
A) Square
B) Rectangular
C) Octagonal
D) Circular
  • 88. Which wife of Ahmed I is buried in his mausoleum?
A) Kosem's mother
B) Hurrem
C) Kösem
D) The text does not mention another wife
  • 89. In what year did Şehzade Mehmed pass away?
A) 1620
B) 1635
C) 1621
D) 1619
  • 90. In what year did Şehzade Bayezid pass away?
A) 1621
B) 1635
C) 1618
D) 1640
  • 91. Around what year was the madrasa probably completed?
A) 1619
B) 1609
C) 1635
D) 1620
  • 92. How many student sleeping quarters rooms are there in the madrasa in total?
A) 4
B) 24
C) 6
D) 15
  • 93. What feature is notably lacking in the design of the madrasa compared to earlier ones?
A) A monumental entrance portal
B) A domed portico
C) Student rooms
D) A courtyard
  • 94. In what year was the darülkurra restored?
A) 1609
B) 1970
C) 1935
D) 1620
  • 95. Over what geographic feature were the hospital and public kitchen built?
A) The main courtyard of the mosque
B) The Hippodrome square
C) The precinct walls
D) The sphendone
  • 96. What does 'imaret' mean in the context of the text?
A) A mausoleum
B) A hospital
C) A madrasa
D) A soup kitchen
  • 97. What structure is located to the south, beyond a sloped tunnel?
A) An arasta
B) A hammam
C) A primary school
D) A large fountain
  • 98. What material was the front part of the hammam probably made of?
A) Wood
B) Stone
C) Marble
D) Brick
  • 99. What is an arasta?
A) A primary school
B) A sloped tunnel
C) A market street
D) A bathing facility
  • 100. Approximately how many shops does the arasta contain spaces for?
A) Around 200 shops
B) Around 1000 shops
C) Around 500 shops
D) Around 50 shops
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