The Great Mosque of Istanbul Essay -- Religion, Islam, Mosque

Hagia Sophia and the great mosques of Istanbul As a city that has played host to not one but two great empires, Istanbul has inherited a number of historical gems. The most apparent of these gems are the sultanic mosques spread across the city. While numerous in number, each mosque tells a different story through its art and architectural elements. They all share, however, triumphs in construction and architectural planning. Through their minarets, pointed arches, and abundance of luxurious building materials, these mosques exemplify the power of the empires they were born out of. The Blue Mosque and other mosques will be mentioned as well. To best present these mosques this paper will look at the Hagia Sophia as a primary example. The mosque, the Islamic location of worship, is similar to the Jewish synagogue or the Christian church in terms of purpose and services. Like other centers of worship they are composed in a very particular fashion. While the architecture of mosques differs regionally, they share the same basic components. The congregation of the mosque prays in the hamam which is a space not unlike the nave of a Christian church. The mihrab, a niche to which prayer is pointed towards, is orientated towards the holy city of Mecca (Frishman and Khan 33-35). The religious leader who carries out prayers does so from the minrab, which is very similar to a pulpit found in a Christian church. Call to prayer is given from the minarets that tower outside of some mosques. Aside from being a place of worship, mosque complexes can contain madrasahs (schools) and â€Å"hospitals, baths, and other inhabitations† (Boyar and Fleet 143). Not all mosques are as grandiose as the ones in Istanbul which were bu ilt not in honor of Islam, bu... ...olorful than the other mosques that it shares the city with, the Blue Mosque posses a warm character that appears to be non-existent in these massive, albeit grandiose, structures. The mosques of Istanbul are much more than places of worship. As initially serving as symbols of power and wealth, they now serve as windows to one of the most powerful empires in history. These mosques allow people to interact more with classical and old-world history than the ruins of the ancient Greek and Romans world can. The Hagia Sophia has transcended its original purposes, while other mosques simultaneously retain their liturgical purpose as well as serving as ambassadors to the Ottoman Empire. As the country of Istanbul pushes further into the modern world, these mosques will grow in importance due to their strong link to a past that attracts travelers to Istanbul initially.

Homelessness Essay Introduction Essay

Attention grabber – makes sure audience is listening As today’s people face a world filled with global conflicts, disappearing jobs, and an increasing poverty in America, action is more crucial than ever. We know that hunger and homelessness are increasing epidemics plaguing in the U.S. Thesis (purpose statement) – tells audience what you want them to think or do We can end homelessness in the U.S by tackling its root causes-low wages and a lack of affordable housing-and by improving support services like TANIF, housing vouchers, and health care. Body First main idea – reason audience should agree with you hunger and homelessness are increasing epidemics plaguing in the U.S. Detail – Just last year, the national poverty rate rose to include 13.2% of the population. 1 in 7 people were at risk of suffering from hunger in the United States. In addition, 3.5 million people were forced to sleep in parks, under bridges, in shelter or cars. Detail Nearly 39% percent of kids under the age of 18 (1.3 million) are homeless. Detail 10% of the population is called â€Å"chronic† and remains without housing for extended periods of time on a frequent bias. (Transition sentence) However there are great effects on the homelessness. Second main idea – homelessness has a tremendous effect on a child’s education Detail approximately 87% of school-age homeless children and youth enrolled in school, although only about 77% attend school regularly. Detail The homeless youth is 1.5 times more likely to preform below gr ade level reading, spelling and math Detail fortunately, the law gives homeless students the right to stay in school and receive support so they can succeed. (Transition sentence) Yet there is a cost of the homelessness. Third main idea – final reason audience should agree the homelessness costs taxpayers. Detail the cost of homelessness can be quite high. Hospitalization, medical treatment, incarceration, police intervention, and emergency shelter can add up quickly, making it expensive for taxpayers. Detail according to surveys of homeless individuals.

The Lottery Essay - 1133 Words

At the beginning of Shirley Jackson’s short story â€Å"The Lottery,† the village congregates in the square on the â€Å"clear and sunny† (247) midsummer day of June 27th. The children are out of school, the flowers are blooming, and the grass is a vibrant green. Ursula K. Le Guin’s short story â€Å"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas,† begins on â€Å"the Festival of Summer,† (242) which includes processions, dancing, singing, bells, and horses. Although the village in â€Å"The Lottery† and the city of Omelas appear pleasant and even utopian, the village holds an annual killing of one of its citizens and the city is complicit in the imprisonment of a child. Although the settings of the short stories are alike in their summery mood, by the end of both stories,†¦show more content†¦Oppositely, the child from â€Å"Omelas† is kept in a secluded place away from the rest of society. The child remains locked up in a cellar in a basement that has a dirty floor, mops, a rusty bucket, and no windows. Unlike Mrs. Hutchinson who has a family, the child remains isolated from the citizens who follow the rule: â€Å"there may not even be a kind word spoken to the child† (246). The child is described as â€Å"defective,† â€Å"imbecile,† and is often referred to as â€Å"it,† (245) rendering him cretinous and sexless. The people of Omelas’ happiness comes from the beauty surrounding them, their friendships, and their wisdom (245). The child, however, is surrounded by filth, lacks human contact, and has become degenerate. Therefore, the child lives a truly unhappy life compared to the other citizens of Omelas. The two stories differ in their reason for the scapegoating in order to prove the faults of society. The village holds an annual lottery to decide which citizen will face lapidation. The purpose of this practice is to uphold tradition and remain civilized. The town places a strong emphasis on tradition, even when it has become outdated and impractical, such as the black box. The town refuses to replace the black box, even though it â€Å"grew shabbier each year† (248). However, this box is not even the original one, showing that the villagers do not examine their traditions, but simply accept them. Occasionally, Mr. Summers is able to make changes,Show MoreRelatedThe Lottery Essay870 Words   |  4 Pageshas a passion for something, there is an uncontrollable emotion about it. Everyone in the world is different, if it was not that way, the world would not go around. Someone may have a passion for something that another person can not stand. In â€Å"The Lottery,† there was a negative passion for people getting stoned. The emotions of others that did not get stoned were horrific for the one getting stoned to death. The father in â€Å"Without Title,† had a huge passion for hunting buffalo. The only problem wasRead More The Lottery Essay811 Words   |  4 Pagesword lottery, you probably think of winning a large sum of money before being stoned to death. quot; The Lotteryquot; by Shirley Jackson brings this horrible idea to life. While the overall mood of the story depicts a typical day in a small rural town, through great use of imagery and irony, one is set up for an unusual ending. Shirley Jackson uses the element of surprise. The way of the story ends is unlike anyone could predict. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The main object of The Lottery is theRead MoreThe Lottery Essay617 Words   |  3 PagesJacksons most famous short story, quot;The Lotteryquot;. Her insights and observations about man and society are disturbing; and in the case of quot;The Lottery,quot; they are shocking. quot;The themes themselves are not new, evil cloaked in seeming good, prejudice and hypocrisy, loneliness and frustration, psychological studies of minds that have slipped the bonds of realityquot; (Friedman). Literary critic, Elizabeth Janeway wrote that, quot; The Lottery makes its effect without having to stateRead MoreThe Lottery Essay705 Words   |  3 Pagesnames to a number of her characters. Can you explain the possible allusions or symbolism of some of these? Delacroix Graves Summers Bentham Hutchinson Warner Martin 5. Graves- what has to be dug after the lottery is over with Summers- The time of the year that the lottery is drawn Martin- Possibly a way to say martyr or another word for a scapegoat 6. Find at least three examples of descriptive language. 6.Three examples of descriptive language in the story are when they are describingRead More The Lottery Essay946 Words   |  4 Pages The Message Sent in â€Å"The Lottery† nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The shock value of Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† is not only widely known, but also widely felt. Her writing style effectively allows the reader to pass a judgment on themselves and the society in which they live. In â€Å"The Lottery† Jackson is making a comparison to human nature. It is prominent in all human civilizations to take a chance as a source of entertainment and as this chance is taken, something is both won and lost. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;AsRead MoreThe Lottery Essay738 Words   |  3 PagesIn â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson and the historical event of blacklisting Americans during the 1950s, the authors convey that loyalty causes us to turn against others around you through symbols. In â€Å"The Lottery†, loyalty to tradition caused a society to turn on one another. â€Å"The Lottery† was an annual tradition where each head of household (the dominant male in each home) picked a slip of paper. If the piece selected had a black dot on it, you had to go through the selection process again, butRead MoreThe Lottery Essay1363 Words   |  6 Pagessignificant role in how people live their day to day lives. In Shirley Jacksons â€Å"The Lottery† the people that lived in the town follow a tradition every year. Its easy to understand why Shirley Jackson’s Lottery caused controversy when it was published shortly after World War II in 1948. The Lottery has been dramatized, televised and turned into a ballet. It is taught in high schools and colleges. (Whittier). The Lottery held many questions about traditions that have become questionable. At the beginningRead MoreThe Lottery Essay714 Words   |  3 Pagesin â€Å"The Lottery†, â€Å"The Fun They Had†, and also â€Å"Eye of the Beholder.† I feel that in â€Å"The Lottery†, Tessie was right for arguing against winning the yearly tradition of the lottery. Margie was right for feeling that the past schools were better in â€Å"The Fun They Had†, and Janet was right for contrasting herself from the others in â€Å"Eye of the Beholder.† Individuals may distinguish their interpretations on distinct feelings or statements. In â€Å"The Lottery†, a yearly tradition of a lottery takes placeRead MoreThe Lottery Essay938 Words   |  4 Pagesthe lottery, but not its exact purpose. Do the townspeople know? Is this omission significant? Intentional? No, the townspeople do not know the lottery’s exact purpose. This omission is not significant because it seems there is no point in the lottery and why these people are operating such horrid acts. It is more intentional; the townspeople are playing it safe thinking they are keeping a tradition, yet no one seems brave enough to ask why? 3. Why is much of the history of the lottery andRead MoreEssay on The Lottery777 Words   |  4 Pages Shirley Jackson’s insights and observations about man and society are reflected in her famous short story quot;The Lotteryquot;. Many of her readers have found this story shocking and disturbing. Jackson reveals two general attitudes in this story: first, the shocking reality of human’s tendency to select a scapegoat and second, society as a victim of tradition and ritual. Throughout history we have witnessed and participated in many events, where, in time of turmoil and hardship, society has