Gezicht op de Ortaköy-moskee before 1885

This anonymous photograph captures a view of the Ortaköy Mosque. Its dominant features—the dome and minarets—speak to its function as a house of worship, but also reveal a deeper cultural and historical resonance. Consider the dome, an architectural element that echoes across time. From the Pantheon in Rome to the Hagia Sophia, the dome symbolizes the vault of heaven and the connection between the earthly and divine realms. In the collective memory, the dome becomes more than a structural feature; it is a motif that evokes a sense of the sacred, and a yearning for transcendence. The minarets, too, reach skyward, but they are a uniquely Islamic symbol. How do these symbols speak to our shared past? How do they continue to evoke profound emotions in different cultural contexts? Their endurance reveals the complex layers of meaning embedded in visual symbols. These transcend individual experience, engaging viewers on a subconscious level. Each age shapes them anew.