Imagine Istanbul

And lastly, I present to you this photograph of a sunset in Istanbul with the Süleymaniye Mosque in the foreground. It was close to the end of the day when I had dashed madly about the city photographing everything I saw. I was standing on the Galata Bridge and I was losing the sun. This might have been one of the last photographs I was able to take that day.

The photograph shows the actual colors of the city and sky just as dusk settled. Again, it was not necessary to make any changes in Photoshop or any other graphics management program – the colors are exactly as shown. The Süleymaniye Mosque, its graceful architecture against the sky gives one a magnificent photograph of the city of Istanbul.

Speaking of magnificent, this mosque was constructed by the famous architect Sinan of the Ottoman

period for Süleyman the Magnificent between the years of 1550 to 1557. It is said that the architect Sinan worked without plans and used the labour of 5,723 workers. Sinan was a well known architect, often compared to the greatness of Michelangelo. He designed approximately 400 buildings throughout his career, both inside the Ottoman Empire and beyond its borders.

Süleyman the Magnificent conquered many lands during his reign, expanding the borders of the Empire to include Algeria, Rhodes, Belgrade, Budin, Temeşvar and Zigervar. He also conducted military expeditions to Germany, Hungary and Vienna. During his 46 year reign, the arts, science and literature flourished in the Ottoman Empire.

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