Here at Coriander Stained Glass, we’re quite excited about the premiere of the new Bond film, Skyfall that was shot in several locations such as London, China and Turkey.

Turkey has a fascinating history with glass, and Istanbul in particular as it was the centre of glass making during the Ottoman era.  Turkish glass products were usually burning oil lamps, tulip vases, rosewater bottles, saucers, sugar cups, stained glass boards or even pitchers. In Anatolia, glass beads were also commonly produced. The first modern glass factory “Paşabahçe” was opened in 1934.

Stained glass in Turkey has been used in palaces, mansions, libraries, pavilions and houses as well as, of course, in mosques.  It has been used since the Seljuk era with a technique called “revzen-i menkuş” which is different from our western method.

We’ve picked out three examples of beautiful glass that can be found in Istanbul.

Hagia Sophia

Formerly a basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum, the Hagia Sophia is one of Turkey’s most well known landmarks.  It is particularly famous for its’ large dome, and lavishly mosaic covered interior.

It is one of the greatest surviving examples of the Byzantine era, with a vast interior and 40 arched windows lining the dome to allow light through.  This example shows the beautiful blues and greens used, with the central panels remaining clear.

Sultan Ahmed Mosque

Popularly known as the “blue mosque” because of the blue tiles adorning its’ interior walls, as well as being a tourist attraction it is still used as a Mosque today.  It’s design is the culmination of the Ottoman and Byzantine eras, and incorporates some of the elements of its’ neighbouring ex-mosque, the Hagia Sohpia.

Inside, there are more than 200 stained glass windows to let the light in.  You can see in this window the different use of colours and the more floral, leafy design.

Süleymaniye Mosque

This Ottoman Imperial mosque is the largest mosque in the city, and one of the best known sights in Istanbul.  Blending Islamic and Byzantine architectural elements, it combines tall, slender minarets with large domed buildings.

The 128 stained glass windows found here were made by a glass master called Sarhoş Ibrahim, and allow a lot of natural light to enter the mosque.

This example is the closest to a western window, and like the Sultan Ahmed mosque has a more floral-like design with a sweeping, vine like feature running through the centre.

If you like the more leafy designs, we’ve got plenty of examples in our stained glass portfolio pages to give you lots of ideas.

Have you been to any of the above places?  We’d love to hear about it or see your own photos!

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