Kursun Mosque Photo

Photographer’s Note

This is one of the most important monuments of the town of Trikala, the Kursun Mosque or Oshman Shah Mosque. The first of the two names comes from the turkish work "kursun" that means "led" and that's because its magnificent dome is made of led. The other name, comes from the "sponsor", Oshman Shah pasha, whose cenotaph or Mauseleum is right behind the mosque. According to a local legend, Oshman Shah was hunted and wounded when he arrived at Trikala and when he got healed, decided to built this mosque, to thank his God.

All that happened around mid- 16th century. The designer of the mosque was Sinan Mimar, a famous architect, who was considered the oriental equivalent to Michelangelo and Brunelleschi. Sinan Mirar was muslim but of greek origins. His parents were Greek Orthodox, from the region of Kaisareia, Anatolia, then part of the Ottoman Empire, today part of Turkey. Many fabulous buildings all around the eastern Mediterranean, were designed by Sinan Mimar.

The Mosque, one of the most beautiful in Greece, was recently restored with funds by the European Union.

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Critiques | Translate

aadilj (17950) 2007-12-13 7:10

The sky is beautiful and the clouds so dramatic. i like the tones and shades and the whole architecture is so dramatised. great pov and perspective. lovely shot

pasternak (13262) 2007-12-13 7:16

Very nice use of sepia for this one, light is dramatic and sepia fits well in these conditions, nice pov also to bring the minaret in front.

Cheers
Alexander

andante (7092) 2007-12-13 7:17

Hola Hercules, another great capture from your gallery. Love the way you have played with the lens distortion to emphasize the perspective of the photo.
Un saludo cordial, amigo,
Enrique

TopGeo (21723) 2007-12-13 7:20

Geia soy Hrakli! To tzami to ksero alla me ton thaumasio dramatiko oyrano to dichis telio. Petiches skies kai fotismoys kai tin thesi lipsis omorpha!
Philika
Giorgos

Paolo (40694) 2007-12-13 7:35

Hi Hercules, excellent black and white one, with a fantastic contrast and excellent POV and composition. the depth of field is wonderufl.
thanks, ciao

kibele66 (2910) 2007-12-13 7:42

Kalisphera Hercules,
Very impressive POV, amazing clouds and B&W gives a more historical effect. The touching effect of the minaret to clouds is dramatic.
Thanks for very well detailed note too.
best wishes
Sibel

portmanndominic (2388) 2007-12-13 7:45

Hercule geia sou

Splendid BW picture , POV is great for this kind of architecture, sky is also very impressive and last but not least a very useful note
TFS
Filika
Dominic

delic (6735) 2007-12-13 7:46

Hello Hercules,
If Sinan was the architect, then it must be a masterpiece. Interesting that you say he was Greek Orthodox. I've been to his birthplace in Kayseri and have thought that he was of Armenian descent. In any event, this is another proof of the kind of melting pot Anatolia has been. Incidentally, most of Sinan's work is in or westward of Istanbul. Ottomans neglected (relatively speaking) Anatolia when it came to architecture. For instance, there is only one Ottoman mosque in Kayseri. It was also built by Sinan and guess what? It's also called Kurşunlu (meaning 'with lead'). Photo is excellent as usual. I wonder if the color version wouldn't be just as good. Regards,
Hakan

dip (12552) 2007-12-13 9:17

Geia sou Irakli,
polu kalo simeio lipsis kai kadrarisma,o ouranos katapliktikos,opos kai i diaxeirisi tou fotismou,polu tha ithela na tin evlepa kai egxromi,
se xaireto,
Dimitris.

Dyerco (9038) 2007-12-13 9:23

Wonderful detail in the mosque and it suits a B&W presentation.
Well done.
Phil

COSTANTINO (22601) 2007-12-13 9:27

Ciao Hraklh,
katapliktikh foto kai uperoxh h epilogh sou se B/N pou dinei ena teleio apotelesma,h diadonia lhpsh sou.
Sugxaritiria,
Bravo.
Costantino

delkoo (34244) 2007-12-13 9:31

hi hercules
Another fantastic bw from you.fantastic sky , it's just perfect to emphasize all the beauty of this place.

ta leme
dider

gilou530 (35082) 2007-12-13 9:35

salut hercules
une photo a l'ambiance dramatique avec ce choix du N&B ou le ciel donne beaucoup de relief et aide a l'atmosphére
amitiés
gilbert

rigoletto (26182) 2007-12-13 10:33

Geia sou Irakli,
First of all, i want to appreciate you for using sepia tones in that photo. It really increases the contrast, therefore adding more volume and dignity to the artwork you are presenting. Of course low-POV and the celestial clouds add a lot, but the first impression is gained through monochormic tones.

The second thing that i'd like to thank you is your open minded note, and its continuation in the forum. I knew that Mimar Sinan was non-muslim originated, but had no idea about his Greek Orthodox roots. But the thing i mostly like in the note is how you present him as a genius of all times, belonging to the whole humanity, like Michaelangelo and Brunelleschi. Those all are great minds, and they belong to all of us, regardless of nation and religion. Thank you for emphasizing on this important issue.

We all need such open mindedness in those times of wars, fascistic nationalism and seperationism.

Ta leme,
Deniz

[2]

hatti52 (12654) 2007-12-13 11:04

Hi Hercules,
great perspective
clouds are so dramatic
wonderful shot with wide angle
compliments

evanrizo (456) 2007-12-13 11:10

Ρε συ Ηρακλή τι καταπληκτική καταγραφή είναι αυτή, ναι τέτοια του ταίριαζε , ειλικρινά φανταστικό αποτέλεσμα.
Χαιρετώ σε.
Ευάγγελος

mesutilgim (36687) 2007-12-13 11:32

Hello dear Hercules, my dear friend,
Very nice b&w capture, with a wonderfull cloudy sky as background. And very good notes.
I add me to each word, Deniz (rigoletto) has sent ! I know that in all parts of Greece, where some turks lived in the past, some words has implemented and vise versa. But here, let me make a very small corection. Turkish translation of lead is kursun (it ends up with "n" and not "m"). You can edit it.
Congratulations for this nice capture and thanks for sharing it with us.
Best regards
MESUT ILGIM

kroupis (664) 2007-12-13 11:49

Ρε Ηρακλή έχεις βαλθεί να μας τρελάνεις; ποτέ δεν έχω ξαναδεί τόσες πολές και καλές φωτό από έναν άνθρωπο . . .
συνέχισε, να σαι καλά
ιλιασ

clio (22605) 2007-12-13 12:15

Geia soy Hrakli!
Another fantastic sky!
What a perspective!

Bravo
Artemis

steliosk (4784) 2007-12-13 12:33

Dramatikh, Ekplhktikh! to xrwma perisseuei, sta teleutaia sou posts exeis paramelhsei ligo ton Tamron h mou fenetai ;)

Filika
Stelios

stelli (2941) 2007-12-13 12:38

This is an artistic picture and the B&W suits it well! I am wondering how would that look in full color, especially with that sky that must have been gorgeous! Thank you for sharing! ΦΙΛΙΚΑ Στέλλα

molla (6881) 2007-12-13 13:41

hej Hercules,
the polarize filter really works out fantastic here, the sky makes a great pattern for the magnificent building. an extra plus for the grafitti on the mosque wall.
Cheers Anders

paura (38278) 2007-12-13 16:31

Hercules,
Belíssima fotografia aqui, com composição primorosa e excelentes ajustes. A opção pelo preto e branco parece-me acertada e o resultado final restou excelente.

Abraço

Paulo

masquerade (0) 2007-12-13 17:37

Me exoun kalypsei oi prolalhsantes...What a great note, what a great photo, what a great monument...
Alla ayto to AEK sto fanera metagenestero kai symplhrwmatiko shmeio toy naou - me skotwse...
Take care
m

edytungkal (4519) 2007-12-13 18:00

Again a marvellous shot from you Hercules, An old historic mosque with dramatic clouds. Great b&w format and i still curious to see it on colours. Well done...

daniel

zeca (20026) 2007-12-13 18:43

Hi Hercules!
The POV is excellent, the architecture is beautiful, the light is beautiful... but the sky is just great! It also gives a nice depth to the image. Excellent work! Congratulations!
Regards,
Zeca

batalay (20858) 2007-12-13 19:18

Hello Hercules,

A superb shot, and a very engaging note. It has generated immediate discussion. Mimar Sinan of Greek Orthodox parents? Armenian descent? My knowledge was about him being of Serbian descent, and consequently Eastern Orthodox. Thus his origins of disputable, but his legacy includes some of the finest architectural edifices of the Eastern Mediterranean. Generally, it is said that his greatest masterpiece was the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, although I prefer the Suleymaniye in Istanbul. The bridge in Mostar, I learned from a note from Sibel (Kybele66), was created by one of Sinan's pupils — another masterpiece. The Ottaman Empire was a polyglot society — multicultural, multi-religion, multi-language, with immense talent. The United States is a later day Ottoman Empire (or perhaps the Ottoman Empire was an early United States), and its strength is in its immigrant population. The greatest scientists and mathematicians, many of them Jewish, came to the United States and made it powerful. The thing about such multicultural societies is that they can rarely be defeated from outside, they begin to become victims of the centrifugal forces from inside. I wonder what it means in the United States when people claim to be Irish American, or Italian American, or Greek American -- but rarely do they say they are just plain American.

Warm regards, Hercules. Ultimately, the blood that courses through are veins are the same. I have immense for the Ancient Greek philosophers, especially the natural philosophers among them.

Bulent

barrufeto_77 (25719) 2007-12-13 22:30

Hola Hercules.

Desde luego, un cielo impresionante que al estar tan bien contrastado te da mucho juego en un B&W.

Grande la foto, grande!

vincz (19039) 2007-12-13 22:52

Dramatic sky, fantastic light, great use of the wide angle to make this even stronger. I like it!

bostankorkulugu (33518) 2007-12-14 0:09

anything would look great in front of this stunning sky... your B&Ws are always masterful giritli mou, and this is no exception...

cheers,

korkut

(ps1: kursuN = lead)

(ps2: sinan was of armenian origin as far as i know...)

azaf1 (15541) 2007-12-14 1:25

Irakli kalispera ki apo mena. Ti na po, exeis megalourgisei pali. Eidika to evrigonio plano eftiakse anepanaliptous ouranous ki edose apistefti omorfia stin eikona
Evge eis diploun
Argiris

Budapestman (41686) 2007-12-14 1:41

Hi Hercules,
Wow, What a stunning impression its so than a heavenly vision. The composition is fascinating and very good choice the B&W. Details are splendid, clarity is excellent. Great shot my friend! Have a nice weekend
George

ifanik (20518) 2007-12-14 1:46

Entyposiako a/m Hraklh san dehsh pros ton theo h prooptikh ths fotografias
Poly kalh
Xairetw
Nikos**

cunejo200 (7157) 2007-12-14 5:29

Hello Hercules,
I am now expecting a divine intervention. So apocalyptic. The clouds are incredibly beautiful and dramatic. Best regards, Danilo

dareco (17104) 2007-12-14 6:09

A very beautiful b&w. I love the architecture of this old mosque. Really a fantastic building. A great picture! TFS

Graal (57729) 2007-12-14 6:20

Hi Hercules,
Interesting place and view of mosque, nice architecture. Unusual pattern of clouds. Good informations. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

pboehringer (770) 2007-12-14 19:29

Hercules,
a truly magnificent B&W with great clouds and a vantageous wide angle distortion of the mosque. The single person on the left gives a good perspective of size and some minimal dynamism.
Cheers, Peter

elifpetan (1200) 2007-12-15 3:13

Hi Hercules,
The cut minaret looks funny but this is an excellent black-white picture.
With love,
Elif:o)

Angelillo (9065) 2007-12-15 3:41

Sin duda esta mezquita es muy bella, Hercules, pero la has rodeado de tal ambiente que la belleza de la mezquita se queda pequeña. El cielo es tan espectacular, has controlado tan bien la intensidad de la luz y de las sombras y has creado un efecto tan dramático que el conjunto está cargado de belleza y tensión. Bellísima.

Un saludo,
Angel.

anes_lc (14766) 2007-12-15 11:01

a great one Hercules.this sky in sepia tones looks amazing
great PP
well done
anes

patdeph (17748) 2007-12-16 5:58

helllo Hercules
I am very impreesed by the sky,with its superb relief and contrasts.Great POV with a nice perspective given by the wide angle!Good choice of black and white,that enhances the dramatic atmosphere!Wonderful shot!
Have a nice sunday.
Pascale

elmec (12194) 2007-12-16 6:31

Hello Hercules!
Amazing scene with great B&W polarized sky!
I like this compo and frame!
Best regards!

saylan-cb (12726) 2007-12-16 9:46

Kalimera Hercules
Fantastic sky!Very nice composition and great POV here.
Excellent B/W work.
TFS/Regards

Gerrit (35613) 2007-12-17 7:04

Hi Hercules,
fantastic picture. The POV is great and the choice for B&W works real fine for the sky.
Regards, Gerrit

Truja (4948) 2007-12-17 11:36

wow!
really I am made an impression!
I am not going to enter the details of the good POv that it has nor in the fantastic resistance in B&W.
I like by to have made an impression single with opening it to me, the excellent and full encounter of details. I'm sorry that single I can give two points him.

my congratulations Hercules

A hug, Jordi

kdialyna (3068) 2007-12-18 2:18

Οι υπέρχες φωτοσκιάσεις και η χαμηλή γωνία ληψης με τον φοβερό ουρανό να είναι το κερασάκι στην τούρτα, η φωτογραφία σου απο το τέμενος πραγματικά εντυπωσιάζει.
Μου αρέσει το αποτέλεσμα της χρήσης του ευρυγώνιου που δίνει εξαιρτική προοπτική στην όλη σύνθεση.
Δεν ξέρω, αλλά νομίζω ότι το Α/Μ σου πάει πολύ.
Χαιρετώ και εύχομαι καλή βδομάδα.
Κώστας

ozturk53 (105) 2007-12-18 10:59

where is the other half of mosque? i think the name of foto should be like this... as a fotograph i liked it. but as an ottoman it hurts me to see it

doubay (5023) 2007-12-21 1:12

Gia su Irakli!
Poli omorfi architektoniki fotografia! Timi mas na echume stin Ellada ena dimiurgima tu megalu Sinan. To 1994 etiche na vretho sta Trikala otan anakenizan to ktirio ke icha episkefti tote tin ikodomi.

Gia to thema tis katagogis tu Sinan: To icha psaxi ke ego paliotera ke nomizo oti i epikraatesteri, ochi omos adiamfisvititi apopsi ine, oti o Sinan proerchotan apo elliniki ikogenia. Epidi omos iparchun ke stichia pu stirizun armeniki katagogi, nomizo oti tha eprepe na iches episimani sto note oti to zitima afto den ine xekatahrismeno.

Chereto
Andreas

coco (27790) 2007-12-28 1:07

Kalimera Hercules.

Esta foto es realmente poderosa. Deja la boca abierta por su exposición e impresionante cielo.

Buen trabajo.

Ta leme, file mou.

enedimd (1528) 2008-01-04 14:59

Hi Hercules,
Wonderful shot in BW. Dramatic clouds view, perspective, deatils and POV are all impressive. TFS,
Emir Nedim

Vato_Law (11664) 2008-01-07 13:48

Hello Hercules.
Great use of the wide angular to give prominence to the mosque and leave the space so it can be enjoyed in its magnitude.
The clouded sky halps a lot to create a mysterious atmosphere here and is a very good top for your photo.
The B&W is such a great choice for this one!
Cheers.
Paulo

gandalf303 (31) 2008-02-09 5:00

Immense photo! Thank You!
gandalf303