A typical shot of a street on the Asian side of Istanbul in Kadıköy, where I live. I didn’t want to feature this picture until I realized that this very every day scene for me might not be so ‘every day’ for the my many visitors from around the world. Click on the picture or here to get a larger and higher quality version of the photograph. In Holland we have a huge debate about the towers of the mosques, called minarets, spoiling the way the street/neighbourhood looks.
What do you think, would one (or a few) of these towers spoil the sight of your neighbourhood? Why (not)?
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8 responses to “Mosque Street Shot”
Mosques are abundant in my country. 5 times a day, we hear the azans being broadcast from several mosques/musollahs in the vicinity simultaneously.
And that’s a beautiful pic! I love Ottoman mosques. Their architecture is distinctive from the rest of the Islamic world. Not to mention the form that it takes from its Byzantine predecessors.
kyh´s last blog post:
I love when they call for prayer! When I visited the middle east It was very cool and amazing that the call for prayer happens. In America you goto church once a year lol seriously.
Great to stumble upon your site. I’m actually an American expat living in your home country of The Netherlands and I’m visiting Istanbul in a few days 🙂 Do you have any insider tips to offer on the best things to do/see/eat?!
Cheers, Jaime
Jaime´s last blog post:
Minarets are part of the Muslim religious culture where prayers are echoed at regular intervals toward Mecca. A blot on the landscape? Not in Muslim based countries that for sure, it is only non-Muslim groups and societies that would consider such a matter.
Minarets in non-Muslim based countries is a different story and one I for sure wouldn’t like to get involved in.
And p.s. I think this minaret has served to make this street MORE stunning. Seriously, how could anyone choose that dilapidated green piece of garbage building over such an architectural beauty?!
Jaime´s last blog post:
It certainly doesn’t look out of place where it is, but I can understand there being debate about having minarets in close proximity to typically Dutch architecture. In the UK and in France, some areas are protected because of having architectural, historic or similar merit, and I doubt whether a minaret would be allowed there. Other areas would be considered individually I believe.
Sheila´s last blog post:
Actualyl Jaime, that dilapidated green piece of garbage was the main object of my picture 😉
The idea failed, so I published it like this, instead of the edited version I was planning. 🙂
As for visiting Istanbul… you’re best of to go to the Golden Horn where the Hagia Sofia and Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) are. Also, make sure you go up the Galata tower for a beautiful view. Besides that, Istiklal Caddesi is a place to have seen if you want to see the modern Turkey as well.
Bas – Istanbul Expat´s last blog post:
I don’t think such a site would ruin my neighbourhood but then there was a great mixture of religion and cultures in South Africa and I am of a more tolerant mind.
I tend to take pictures of anything that looks foreign to me, which is nearly everything here and I post it to show other people what it looks like. I just assume people want to see what I see otherwise they wouldn’t be at my blog!
Emm´s last blog post: