Shadirvan at the Sultan Ahmed Mosque

When I said that the courtyard of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque or Blue Mosque is bare, that isn’t exactly true. Yes, there are still people milling about here despite the hot afternoon sun. At the very center of the courtyard is structure that looks like some sort of gazebo. It has an Ottoman design as it has the distinctive dome above it. And of course it isn’t really a gazebo but rather what is called a shadirvan. This is a structure that houses a fountain and it is used for ablutions. Shadirvan are a common feature of mosques in Türkiye. Like this one, it is usually placed in the center of the courtyards of mosques.

As you might know, it is very important for Muslims to be clean, not just in spirit but also physically. Because of this, it is mandatory to do cleansing of the body before prayers. This is not just simple washing of hands but there is a specific sequence of parts which should be cleansed prior to doing prayer of worship. This particular shadirvan in the center of the courtyard serves such as purpose. Just one look at it and I can tell that this one is too small for that. In fact, they built a separate area for ablution outside the walls of the mosque. I can’t imagine how long people would have had to queue to cleanse their body with such numbers of people.

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