Located in the district of Eminönü to which it gives its name, the Mahmut Paşa Mosque Complex (Turkish: Külliye) was built by a Grand Vizier of Mehmed the Conqueror, Mahmud Paşa.
The Mahmut Paşa Mosque Complex (Turkish: Külliye),located in Eminönü, was built by a Grand Vizier of Mehmed the Conqueror, Mahmud Paşa. Construction of the mosque complex, composed of the mosque itself, a tomb, a hamam, an inn, a medrese, primary and secondary schools, and a courthouse began in the 1460’s. Today the mosque, tomb, hamam, inn and medrese still remain.
Finished in 1463, the mosque is one of the oldest still standing in Istanbul. Built of cut stone, the mosque possesses a marble mihrab and a conical, wooden minbar. Its one minaret has a single balcony and a leaden, conical top. The mosque has been repaired over the course of time due fire damage and a number of additions have been made to it.
Mosque is a place of worship for Muslims. It comes from the Arabic word 'masjid' which literally means "a place for prostration". Mosques are also places where Muslims come together for different purposes such as education, social gatherings, public meetings, exhibitions, lectures etc. Although there is no specific requirement for mosques in terms of their architecture, one can see some common features inside and outside of many mosques such as minarets, domes, ablution areas, prayer niche (mihrab), pulpit (minbar) and so on.
Muslims are obliged to perform the ritual worship 5 times a day. They are not required to attend a mosque for each of these prayers however in order to interact with the community they are encouraged to pray in congregation. Friday noon is the only time in a week when Muslims must definitely join the congregational prayer in a mosque after which they can continue their work, education or other commitments.
Azan or the call for prayer is a vocal announcement that one can hear from minarets 5 times a day. The call to prayer is made live -even early in the morning- by a person called 'muazzin'. The muazzins are usually chosen from people with loud and beautiful voices and trained over years to make this announcement beautifully and invite people to worship.
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