UNIT 7
Sultan Ahmad Mosque
1. The Sultan Ahmad mosque is one of the
most impressive monuments in the world. It is also known
as Blue Mosque because of the blue tiles that embellish its interior. Situated
in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of Ottoman Empire from
1453 to 1923, it has become the most popular tourist attraction.
2. It was constructed between 1609 and 1616,
during the rule of Ahmad I. As was the custom, this mosque like other mosques
of the time, comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrassah and a hospice.
3. Construction of the mosque started in
1609. The royal architect Sedefhar Mehmat Aga, was appointed by the Sultan as
in-charge of the project. The opening ceremony was held in 1616. Unfortunately,
the Sultan could not see the completion of the mosque in his life. It was
completed in the reign of his successor Mustafa I.
4. Blue Mosque reflects the architectural
style of both Ottoman mosque and Byzentine church. Hagia Sophia, a mosque, one
of the wonders of Muslim architecture, was also kept in view as a model. Blue
Mosque even today is considered unmatched in splendour, majesty and size.
5. The mosque has a spacious forecourt
surrounded by a continuous vaulted arcade. It has ablution facilities on both
sides. In the centre there is a fountain which is rather small in contrast with
the magnitude of the courtyard. A heavy iron chain hangs in the upper part of
the court entrance on the western side. This side was meant for the
Sultan alone. The chain was put there so that the Sultan had to lower his head
every time he entered the court. It was the symbolic gesture to ensure the
humility of the ruler in the face of the divine.
6. The interior of the mosque at the lower
level is lined with more than 20,000 hand-made ceramic tiles in more than 50
different tulip designs. At gallery level the design becomes flamboyant with
representation of flowers, fruit and cypresses.
7. The upper level of the interior is
adorned with blue paint. More than 200 stained glass windows with intricate
designs allow natural light to brighten up its interior and the chandeliers
further illuminate it with their glow. The decorations include verses from the
holy Quran. The floors are covered with carpets.
8. The most important element in the
interior of the mosque is the mehrab, which is made of finely carved
marble. To the right of the mehrab is a
richly decorated pulpit. The mosque is so designed that even when it is
most crowded, everyone in the mosque can hear and see the Imam.
9. The royal room is situated at the south
east corner. It has its own pulpit that used to be decorated with jade and
roses.
10. The Blue Mosque has six minarets. Four
minarets stand one each at the four corners of the mosque. Each of these pencil
shaped minarets has three balconies, while the two others at the end of the
forecourt have only two balconies.
11. In the evening, a large number of tourists
and Turks gather in the park facing the mosque to hear the call to the evening
prayers. The mosque is flooded with lights and so are the hearts of the
believers with divine love. Though much has been lost of Blue Mosque over the
years yet it has not lost the love of its visitors. The mosque is still one of
the most frequently visited monuments of the world.
EXERCISES SOLUTION: Sultan Ahmad Mosque
Comprehension
A. Answer the following questions.
1. Why Sultan Ahmad Mosque is also known as Blue Mosque?
2. Who was appointed as the architect of the mosque?
3. Why was a heavy iron chain hung at the entrance of the court?
4. How does the interior of the mosque look?
5. Why do you think Madrassah and hospice was part of the mosque?
6. Who constructed Mosque Sophia?
Vocabulary
A. Consult a thesaurus and find out the synonyms of the following words.
embellish, integrate, splendor,
majesty, illuminate
B. Circle the correct antonyms from the given choices of the underlined words.
1. The Sultan mosque is one of the
most impressive monuments in the world.
a. ugly b. unimpressive c.
remarkable
2. Situated in Istanbul, the
largest city in Turkey.
a. smallest b. greatest c.
populated
3. A heavy iron chain
hangs in the upper part of the court entrance on the western side.
a. big b. bold c.
light
4. The upper level of
the interior is adorned with blue paint.
a. lower b. outer c.
higher
5. The floors are covered
with carpets.
a. spread b. exposed c.
decorated
C. Use the following words in sentences.
impressive, dexterously, spacious,
humility, flamboyant
D. What do the following abbreviations stand for?
USA, UK, UAE, ICU, MBBS, PhD, M.Phil,
PAF, NADRA, UN, ISSB, WAP DA,
PTB, MNA, MPA, IMF, WHO, WTO, UNESCO,
UNICEF
Grammar
Position of Adverbs
A. Place the adverbs at appropriate positions.
1.
She comes here. (often)
2.
He goes to Lahore. (sometimes)
3.
The teacher was late. (hardly ever)
4.
We are tired by the end of the day. (usually)
5.
I have posted a letter to them. (just)
6.
He did his work. (carefully)
B. Complete this table with appropriate adverbs of degree.
Positive degree Comparative
degree Superlative degree
kept much ---------------------------- ----------------------------
sang beautifully ---------------------------- ----------------------------
slept little ---------------------------- ----------------------------
looked good ---------------------------- ----------------------------
arrived early ---------------------------- ----------------------------
C. Use above degrees of comparison in sentences as given in example.
1.
They came early this morning.
2.
I came earlier.
3.
He came earliest of all.
D. Put for or since in the blanks.
1.
I have been studying __________ 3 hours.
2.
I have been watching TV ___________ 7pm.
3.
Tara hasn't been feeling well __________ 2 weeks.
4.
Tara hasn't been visiting us __________ March.
5.
He has been playing football _________ a longtime.
6.
He has been living in Bangkok ___________ he left school.
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