ThatQuiz Test Library Take this test now
Blue Mosque, Istanbul - Quiz
Contributed by: Thorpe
  • 1. When was much of the mosque interior's painted decoration replaced by new stenciled paintwork?
A) 2018
B) 1883
C) 2013
D) 1912
  • 2. What major event occurred in 1912 that damaged or destroyed several outlying structures of the mosque complex?
A) A major fire
B) An earthquake
C) A flood
D) A war
  • 3. During preparatory work in which year was it discovered that the northwest minaret had shifted 5 centimetres?
A) 2023
B) 2006
C) 2015
D) 2013
  • 4. How much had the mosque's northwest minaret shifted over time, as discovered in 2013?
A) 10 centimetres
B) 5 centimetres
C) 50 centimetres
D) 2 centimetres
  • 5. When did comprehensive restoration work on the rest of the mosque begin?
A) 2018
B) 1912
C) 2013
D) 2015
  • 6. In which month and year did the mosque reopen after comprehensive restoration?
A) April 2023
B) December 2015
C) January 2018
D) November 2006
  • 7. Who visited the mosque on 30 November 2006?
A) Pope Benedict XVI
B) Pope Francis
C) Pope John Paul II
D) Pope Paul VI
  • 8. Who was the Mufti of Istanbul during the 2006 papal visit?
A) Emrullah Hatipoğlu
B) Sedefkar Mehmed Agha
C) Mimar Sinan
D) Mustafa Çağrıcı
  • 9. Who was the Imam of the Blue Mosque during the 2006 papal visit?
A) Emrullah Hatipoğlu
B) Mustafa Çağrıcı
C) Gülru Necipoğlu
D) Doğan Kuban
  • 10. The design of the mosque is based on that of which earlier mosque?
A) Şehzade Mosque
B) Yeni Valide Mosque
C) Hagia Sophia
D) Ballie Mosque
  • 11. Who designed the Şehzade Mosque?
A) Emrullah Hatipoğlu
B) Doğan Kuban
C) Sedefkar Mehmed Agha
D) Mimar Sinan
  • 12. What area does the prayer hall occupy?
A) 50 by 60 metres
B) 64 by 72 metres
C) 100 by 120 metres
D) 23.5 by 77 metres
  • 13. What is the diameter of the mosque's central dome?
A) 72 metres
B) 64 metres
C) 5 centimetres
D) 23.5 metres
  • 14. How many semi-domes surround the central dome?
A) Two
B) Three
C) Six
D) Four
  • 15. How many smaller semi-domes or exedrae flank each of the surrounding semi-domes?
A) Three
B) Two
C) Four
D) Six
  • 16. How many minarets does the mosque have on the outside?
A) Eight
B) Six
C) Four
D) Two
  • 17. Who is the architect of the Blue Mosque?
A) Doğan Kuban
B) Sedefkar Mehmed Agha
C) Mimar Sinan
D) Mustafa Çağrıcı
  • 18. Where was the architect Sedefkar Mehmed Agha from?
A) Elbasan
B) Istanbul
C) Iznik
D) Ankara
  • 19. What other mosque did Sedefkar Mehmed Agha build in Elbasan?
A) Hagia Sophia
B) Yeni Valide Mosque
C) Ballie Mosque
D) Şehzade Mosque
  • 20. What style does the structure of the mosque reflect?
A) Early Byzantine style
B) Classical Ottoman style
C) Gothic style
D) Modern minimalist style
  • 21. The mosque incorporates aspects of Byzantine architecture from which neighboring building?
A) Ballie Mosque
B) Şehzade Mosque
C) Hagia Sophia
D) Yeni Mosque
  • 22. The Blue Mosque was the last great mosque of which historical period?
A) Baroque period
B) Classical period
C) Modern period
D) Medieval period
  • 23. Which architectural historian characterizes Mehmed Agha's style as having a more sculptural approach?
A) Emrullah Hatipoğlu
B) Doğan Kuban
C) Gülru Necipoğlu
D) Mimar Sinan
  • 24. According to Gülru Necipoğlu, what building material was used lavishly, demonstrating an emerging trend towards extravagance?
A) Marble
B) Gold leaf
C) Stenciled paint
D) Iznik tiles
  • 25. Which other mosque shares a similar lack of restraint in decoration and was completed later that same century?
A) Ballie Mosque
B) Hagia Sophia
C) Şehzade Mosque
D) New Mosque
  • 26. In which city is the Blue Mosque located?
A) Istanbul
B) Ankara
C) Izmir
D) Bursa
  • 27. During the rule of which sultan was the Blue Mosque constructed?
A) Ahmed I
B) Mehmed III
C) Murad III
D) Selim II
  • 28. Between which years was the Blue Mosque constructed?
A) 1620 and 1630
B) 1600 and 1605
C) 1609 and 1617
D) 1574 and 1582
  • 29. What is included in the mosque's külliye?
A) A large public hospital and a bazaar
B) A royal palace and a Turkish bath
C) Ahmed's tomb and a madrasa
D) A military barracks and a clock tower
  • 30. In what year was the Blue Mosque included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list?
A) 2000
B) 1985
C) 1995
D) 1975
  • 31. Under what name was the Blue Mosque included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list?
A) Architectural Masterpieces of Turkey
B) Sultanahmet Cultural Heritage Site
C) Ottoman Monuments of Istanbul
D) Historic Areas of Istanbul
  • 32. What historical event motivated Sultan Ahmed I to build a large mosque?
A) The Treaty of Lausanne
B) The Peace of Zsitvatorok
C) The Siege of Vienna
D) The Conquest of Constantinople
  • 33. Who was the last sultan before Ahmed I to build an imperial mosque?
A) Mehmed II
B) Bayezid II
C) Suleiman the Magnificent
D) Selim II
  • 34. What former structure occupied the site next to where the mosque was built?
A) Roman Colosseum
B) Ancient Theater
C) Hippodrome
D) Byzantine Palace
  • 35. What was discovered in the mosque's courtyard during 20th-century excavations?
A) Roman military weapons
B) A cache of Byzantine gold coins
C) The foundation of an old church
D) Some of the ancient seats from the Hippodrome's bleachers
  • 36. Which islamic legal scholars protested the construction of the mosque?
A) The ulema
B) The janissaries
C) The muftis
D) The dervishes
  • 37. Why did the ulema argue that sultans should fund imperial mosque construction?
A) Through voluntary public donations
B) With personal family wealth
C) Using profits from international trade
D) With spoils of conquest
  • 38. Where did Ahmed I have to divert funds from since he had won no major victories?
A) The provincial taxes
B) The treasury
C) Foreign loans
D) Military reserves
  • 39. In what year was the opening ceremony of the Blue Mosque held?
A) 1620
B) 1616
C) 1609
D) 1617
  • 40. Which scholar noted that the last accounting reports on construction were signed by Mustafa I?
A) Doğan Kuban
B) Ekrem Hakkı Ayverdi
C) Semavi Eyice
D) Godfrey Goodwin
  • 41. What helped overcome the initial public controversy over the mosque's construction?
A) A royal decree forgiving all taxes
B) Its grandeur, luxurious decoration, and elaborate public ceremonies
C) The sudden defeat of Ottoman enemies
D) Generous gifts of food to the poor
  • 42. What is the name of the neighbourhood that was named after the mosque?
A) Eminönü
B) Sultanahmet
C) Fatih
D) Beyazıt
  • 43. Where are the four semi-domes located in the mosque?
A) Over the outer courtyard
B) Over the prayer hall
C) Above the minaret bases
D) Around the imperial tomb
  • 44. What feature is located in front of the mosque?
A) A large public park
B) A monumental fountain
C) A grand obelisk
D) A large courtyard
  • 45. What effect did the mosque's location have on the city?
A) It serves as a navigational lighthouse
B) It allows it to dominate the city's skyline
C) It connects the old and new ports
D) It blocks the view of the Bosphorus strait
  • 46. What architectural feature is used to cover transitions between smaller exedrae and supporting walls or arches?
A) Frescoes
B) Muqarnas
C) Mosaics
D) Pendentives
  • 47. Which side of the prayer hall lacks the two-floor gallery because of the mihrab?
A) Northwestern side
B) Northeastern side
C) Southeastern side
D) Southwestern side
  • 48. Where are the two fountains incorporated in the mosque's prayer hall?
A) The eastern corners
B) The two northern pillars
C) Near the main entrance
D) The two southern pillars
  • 49. What material is used for the floors of the prayer hall?
A) Marble tiles
B) Wood planks
C) Carpets
D) Stone slabs
  • 50. What is the ground-level focus of the prayer hall?
A) The mihrab
B) The main fountain
C) The sultan's loge
D) The grand chandelier
  • 51. What material is used to make the mihrab?
A) Iznik tilework
B) Finely carved marble
C) Painted wood
D) Bronze casting
  • 52. What feature is located to the right of the mihrab?
A) The minbar
B) The sultan's loge
C) The northern fountain
D) The imperial pavilion
  • 53. What tops the summit of the minbar?
A) A gold-covered conical cap
B) A silver crescent
C) A carved wooden finial
D) A marble dome
  • 54. How many marble columns support the sultan's loge?
A) Six
B) Twelve
C) Four
D) Ten
  • 55. What shape does the sultan's loge platform have?
A) Square
B) Circular
C) U-shape
D) L-shape
  • 56. In what year was the auxiliary imperial pavilion structure partly destroyed by fire?
A) 1613
B) 1826
C) 1912
D) 1607
  • 57. After which ancient city is the production center of the mosque's tiles named?
A) Ephesus
B) Nicaea
C) Pergamum
D) Troy
  • 58. In what year did Sultan Ahmed I forbid the production and sale of tiles for any purpose other than his mosque?
A) 1613
B) 1607
C) 1912
D) 1610
  • 59. How many total tiles are found inside the mosque?
A) 15,420
B) 21,043
C) 26,043
D) 11,260
  • 60. Approximately what percentage of the mosque's walls above the tilework is decorated with painted motifs?
A) 75 percent
B) 50 percent
C) 90 percent
D) 60 percent
  • 61. What is the predominant colour of the paintwork above the tile level?
A) Red
B) Blue
C) Green
D) Gold
  • 62. Who originally made the calligraphic inscriptions with verses from the Qur'an in the mosque?
A) Seyyid Kasim Gubari
B) Mehmed Agha
C) Evliya Çelebi
D) Ahmed I
  • 63. Approximately how many windows does the mosque contain to admit natural light?
A) 260
B) 150
C) 360
D) 500
  • 64. How many windows are in each semi-dome?
A) 28
B) 10
C) 14
D) 5
  • 65. How many windows are in the central dome?
A) 14
B) 5
C) 4
D) 28
  • 66. What objects were traditionally added to chandeliers in the mosque, besides lamps?
A) Jade roses
B) Ceramic tiles
C) Silver bells
D) Ostrich eggs
  • 67. Where is the most monumental entrance of the courtyard located?
A) On the southwest
B) On the southeast
C) On the northwest
D) On the northeast
  • 68. What architectural feature tops the tall projecting portal of the central courtyard entrance?
A) A pyramidal roof
B) A flat stone terrace
C) A tall spire
D) A small dome raised on a drum
  • 69. What is the form of the mosque courtyard on the inside?
A) Square atrium
B) Circular rotunda
C) Hexagonal courtyard
D) Classic rectangular peristyle
  • 70. How many columns support the porticos in the courtyard?
A) 30 columns
B) 12 columns
C) 26 columns
D) 50 columns
  • 71. How many domes are above the courtyard porticos?
A) 10 domes
B) 40 domes
C) 30 domes
D) 26 domes
  • 72. What is at the center of the courtyard?
A) The shadirvan
B) A large marble statue
C) An open garden
D) A tall clock tower
  • 73. What are the outer surfaces of the shadirvan kiosk carved with?
A) Calligraphic Quranic verses
B) Geometric star patterns
C) Depictions of animals and humans
D) Low-relief foliate motifs
  • 74. What was an innovative feature regarding the placement of the water taps?
A) Their location inside the central prayer hall
B) Their use of hot water heating systems
C) Their inclusion under arcaded galleries along the outer walls
D) Their connection to underground rivers
  • 75. What hangs in the northwestern entrance to the outer precinct of the mosque?
A) A heavy iron chain
B) A velvet curtain
C) A decorative rope
D) A brass chandelier
  • 76. Which person was uniquely allowed to enter the court of the mosque on horseback?
A) Foreign ambassadors
B) The sultan
C) The head imam
D) The chief architect
  • 77. What phrase did the architect supposedly mishear as 'altı minare'?
A) altın minareler
B) büyük minareler
C) altın kubbe
D) yedi minare
  • 78. What does 'altın minareler' mean?
A) gold minarets
B) six minarets
C) tall minarets
D) beautiful minarets
  • 79. What did the Sultan supposedly order for the Mecca mosque after the architect's mistake?
A) A golden dome
B) A seventh minaret
C) A larger prayer hall
D) Two new courtyards
  • 80. What is the shape of each of the six minaret towers?
A) Fluted
B) Smooth
C) Square
D) Octagonal
  • 81. What is the Turkish term for minaret balconies used in the text?
A) muqarnas
B) muezzin
C) şerefe
D) minaret
  • 82. What supports each balcony on the minarets?
A) Muqarnas-carved corbeling
B) Wooden pillars
C) Stone arches
D) Marble columns
  • 83. Have the minarets remained unchanged throughout their history?
A) No, they were completely replaced by concrete
B) Yes, they are completely original
C) No, they have been repaired many times
D) Yes, they were rebuilt once in stone
  • 84. Who historically had to climb a narrow spiral staircase inside the minarets five times a day?
A) The imam
B) The muezzin
C) The Sultan
D) The architect
  • 85. How do the other structures of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque complex compare to previous imperial mosque complexes?
A) They are completely underground
B) They are not arranged in a regular, well-organized plan
C) They follow a identical layout to all older mosques
D) They are arranged in a strict geometric circle
  • 86. In what year was the construction of the mausoleum of Ahmed I begun?
A) 1609
B) 1620
C) 1635
D) 1619
  • 87. What is the shape of the floor plan of the tomb chamber of Ahmed I's mausoleum?
A) Circular
B) Square
C) Rectangular
D) Octagonal
  • 88. Which wife of Ahmed I is buried in his mausoleum?
A) Kosem's mother
B) Kösem
C) The text does not mention another wife
D) Hurrem
  • 89. In what year did Şehzade Mehmed pass away?
A) 1620
B) 1621
C) 1619
D) 1635
  • 90. In what year did Şehzade Bayezid pass away?
A) 1635
B) 1618
C) 1621
D) 1640
  • 91. Around what year was the madrasa probably completed?
A) 1635
B) 1619
C) 1620
D) 1609
  • 92. How many student sleeping quarters rooms are there in the madrasa in total?
A) 6
B) 24
C) 15
D) 4
  • 93. What feature is notably lacking in the design of the madrasa compared to earlier ones?
A) A monumental entrance portal
B) A domed portico
C) A courtyard
D) Student rooms
  • 94. In what year was the darülkurra restored?
A) 1609
B) 1935
C) 1970
D) 1620
  • 95. Over what geographic feature were the hospital and public kitchen built?
A) The Hippodrome square
B) The precinct walls
C) The sphendone
D) The main courtyard of the mosque
  • 96. What does 'imaret' mean in the context of the text?
A) A soup kitchen
B) A hospital
C) A madrasa
D) A mausoleum
  • 97. What structure is located to the south, beyond a sloped tunnel?
A) A primary school
B) A large fountain
C) An arasta
D) A hammam
  • 98. What material was the front part of the hammam probably made of?
A) Wood
B) Marble
C) Stone
D) Brick
  • 99. What is an arasta?
A) A bathing facility
B) A primary school
C) A sloped tunnel
D) A market street
  • 100. Approximately how many shops does the arasta contain spaces for?
A) Around 1000 shops
B) Around 50 shops
C) Around 500 shops
D) Around 200 shops
Created with That Quiz — a math test site for students of all grade levels.