User:Emilyrosepetro/sandbox

Overview
The Green Mosque employs a distinctively diverse range of tile techniques (including black-line tiles (often mistaken for, yet technically separate from cuerda seca tiles), monochrome underglaze tiles, mosaic, and painted terra-cotta relief) and colors (including green, blue, turquoise, white, yellow, light purple, and dark purple)

The black-line tiles, which compose the majority of the tiles within the mosque, reflect an extensive Timurid influence that emerged through the empire’s frequent invasions of Ottoman territories. This influence can also be observed in Timurid ceramics and architecture in Central Asia, such as the mausolea within the Shah-i Zinda shrine complex. Moreover, an inscription on the mihrab designates the black-line tiles as “amal-i ustādhān-i Tabrīz” (work of the masters of Tabriz).

Meanwhile, the blue- and turquoise-glazed tiles in the entrance hallway and iwans, as well as the gold-adorned green hexagonal tiles in the iwans, reveal a Seljuk influence (which can be observed in the Karatay Madrasa in Konya).

Tile decoration within the mosque
In the hallway connecting the vestibule to the prayer hall, dark green hexagonal tiles cover the walls, punctuated by a large roundel in the center of each wall. These roundels feature an intricate floral arabesque in black-line tiles glazed in white, yellow, green, and blue. The recessed mahfils that flank the opening into the prayer hall are covered in similar dark green hexagonal wainscot tiles with gold decoration, with a large, intricate arabesque on each ceiling.

More of these dark green hexagonal wainscot tiles, each decorated with a thick layer of gold overlay, cover the large iwans flanking the prayer hall. A narrow floral black-line band surrounds these tiles, topped by a larger black-line band featuring a white and gold inscription upon a blue background.

In the prayer hall itself, dark green hexagonal and triangular tiles (including some nineteenth and thirteenth century replacements ) cover the lower portions of the walls. The mihrab and its moulded tile frame feature a wide array of tile styles, shapes, and colors. Square black-line tiles, glazed in blue, purple, white, and yellow, cover the mihrab’s interior with geometric motifs. Equally colorful vegetal arabesques, composed of square and rectangular black-line tiles, decorate the spandrels. The mihrab niche’s twelve rows of muqarnas and two ribbed columns feature similarly intricate and colorful tilework. In the sultan’s loge, the walls and ceiling are covered in gilded black-line tiles that depict motifs of stars and polygons. In contrast to these geometric motifs, the black-tile border around the opening into the mosque is decorated with vegetal motifs.

Carvings
The front portal of the mosque is made of carved marble and features a tall, recessed muqarnas niche, with unique marble tympana (decorated with arabesques) framing the flanking windows. This portal, framed with floral carvings and scripture, references similar portals found in Seljuk mosques, madrasas, and mausolea. The two tabhane rooms beyond the iwans, designed to provide lodging for travelers, contain carved plaster niches and ocaks (fireplaces with a tall hood). A three-line calligraphic inscription is put in an arch over one of its doors.

There is also little left of the polychromic paintwork that used to embellish the rooms.

(ORIGINAL ARTICLE BELOW)

The large entrance to the mosque is flanked by recessed marble sofas with twin cubby-holes (papuçluks) for the shoes. Above the door is a long Arabic inscription in bronze. (PB said untrue, delete) The door is crowned by a half- dome with a cascade of mocárabe(stalactites) that taper into a star. The flat face of the half-dome, set in a ribbed frame, is adorned with arabesques and inscriptions in Rumi scripts. Between the inscription and the mocárabes is a small window that lights the floor of the foyer to the sultan's box. Above the niches on each side of the entrance door is an inscription dedicated to Hacı İvaz, son of Ahi Beazit who designed the mosque. As Ahi Beazit was the prefect and later the governor of Bursa, it is not likely that he would have been the architect. But he would have concerned with overseeing the work. The builder would probably have relied on the teamwork and the craftsmanship of the Mason's Guild to execute his plans.

Beneath the central dome, the sculpted white marble fountain within an octagonal pool adds to the beauty of the mosque. (this is argumentative, revise) On one's left and right side are two large eyvans(a vaulted recess open on one side). (remove from "decoration" and add to architecture section)

The interior of the mosque is decorated with a mosaic of blue-green tiles on the walls and ceiling of the eyvans (mention "iwan" spelling? even though eyvan is Turkish), from which it gets its name. (The exterior domes, now clad with lead, were once also adorned with blue-green tiles in cuerda seca style.

One ascends from the vestibule to prayer hall via three steps. This stair is flanked on each side by four cubby-holes (papuçluk) for slippers. This shows the vestibule was paved and not carpeted as nowadays. (add to "interior" section)

The northern eyvans, the royal lodge and the mihrab are embellished with tiles bearing polychromic flower motifs and scriptures in relief. There are many 19th century replacements among the tiles.  (do we know this for sure? Just says it's replaced in the Archnet article--not sure if it was during the entire renovation.) . A scripture in the mihrab area acknowledges "the work of Masters of Tabriz" on the tiles (add to this with Blessing article), and the name Nakkas Ali bin Ilyas Aliappears above the royal box as designer of the entire decorative scheme. (this sentence is 100% copied and pasted from Archnet article--rephrase)

Opposite stands the mihrab, with its moulded tile frame. The intricate pattern of the tiles, full of flowers and entwining stems, was achieved through the cuerda seca technique, followed by ingenious gilding patterns. (elaborate on said gilding patterns?) (Take out part about the architectural features of the vestibule and mihrab and keep tile part, transfer architectural part to "interior" section) (added into the specific tiles section)

The mosque i s built out of sandstone and clad with marble panels (phrasing basically the same as Archnet article -- replaced "dressed" with "clad"-- rephrase), a majority of which was replaced in the nineteenth century. (put in "exterior" section" after rephrasing) (make carvings section?) The grand entrance and the mihrab niches on the northern façade are crowned with marble mocárabe half-domes. The iron parts used on the door, windows and cupboards of the mosque are proof of excellent workmanship. (argumentative)

The two minarets are later additions to the building (cite Archnet article--basically the exact same sentence). (add to "exterior" section) They were both rebuilt on an old base by Parvillée. They have been fitted with stone spires carved in the baroque manner at the time of renovation. They can only be accessed through the sultan's apartments and by climbing up the winding stairs to the attics. (add to exterior section)