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