Sherefeli Mosque, 15th-century mosque in Edirne, Turkey.
The Sherefeli Mosque is a 15th-century house of prayer in Edirne with four minarets of different heights and elaborately decorated exteriors. The structure centers on a large dome that fills the prayer space with light and reflects early Ottoman building techniques.
Sultan Murad II commissioned construction between 1437 and 1447 during the Ottoman Empire's early expansion. This period marks a turning point in Islamic architecture, as new design methods emerged that influenced buildings throughout the region.
The interior displays geometric patterns and calligraphy that catch your eye throughout the space. You notice how the decorations on walls and domes shape the prayer experience and give the room a living quality.
The site opens to visitors outside of the five daily prayer times, and you should remove your shoes and wear modest clothing. Men and women pray in separate areas, so plan for that spatial arrangement when visiting.
One minaret contains three separate staircases, allowing multiple muezzins to reach different balconies at the same time without meeting. This clever design shows how builders thought ahead about the practical needs of daily use.
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