Hüdavendigar Mosque, Ottoman mosque in Bursa, Turkey.
The Hüdavendigar Mosque is a large prayer house in Bursa featuring a distinctive dome arrangement. The interior is divided by columns that support the roof and create distinct prayer areas below.
The building was constructed in the late 1300s under an early Ottoman ruler and has shaped the city since then. Following severe damage from an earthquake, it was rebuilt in the mid-1800s with help from a European architect.
The walls display Quranic verses in Arabic calligraphy created by multiple craftsmen over time. These inscriptions form part of what visitors experience when moving through the prayer space.
The mosque can be visited outside of main prayer times, though visitors should respect worshippers if they are present. Wearing appropriate clothing is expected, and keeping quiet helps maintain the peaceful environment inside.
Inside sits an eighteen-sided water basin that was once used for ritual washing, covered by its own dome. This design shows how the builders combined light and water in an inventive way.
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