Do the Monster Mosques

Turkey has mosques. A lot of mosques.  And after awhile they do start to look the same (sorry EJ but there it is).  that's not to say I don't like them. In fact I love them.

Each one has a fountain outside to wash ones feet or wet one's whistle.  Each one has a place for or.  storing the shoes taken off at the door.  Each one has a lovely, soft, clean carpet with an orientation Mecca-ward.  Each one has a series of round chandeliers at human height. Each one has a niche indicating the location for prayer (i.e., Mecca). Each one has a seperate area partitioned off for women, which is the only thing I don't really care for.

Some are plain, some are incredibly decorative.  Some have one dome, some have two, one had 20 domes! Some use tile, some paint, and some wood for their primary decoration.  Some were empty, some held a few devotees, some were crammed full of tourists.  All are holy places and worth investigating, no matter how out of the way or touristic.

Here are some photos of the mosques I visited.  I won't identify them, just present them as a sample of the genre in the country.  Enjoy.