The Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque is one of the most famous attractions in Istanbul with a lot of local and foreigner visitors everyday. A special piece of art the you should know about.

Background

Sultanahmet, you might know it by its more common name, the Blue Mosque. Construction of this Istanbul landmark began in 1609 and was completed in 1616, during the rule of Sultan Ahmed I. It is the only mosque in Turkey with six minarets; all others have five or fewer. The design is credited to Sedefkar Mehmet Aga, a student and apprentice of the famous architect Mimar Sinan who worked on many other imperial mosques as well.

The Blue Mosque stands at 170 feet (52 m) high and has one main dome that measures 107 feet (33 m) across, six smaller domes surrounding it and eight secondary domes around them. The interior decoration of this mosque is especially grand. More than 20,000 hand-painted blue tiles adorn the walls of its interior with floral motifs added to emphasize the beauty of nature through Islamic art.

Geography

The Blue Mosque is located in Istanbul, Turkey. It is situated on the Sultanahmet square. The nearest landmarks are the Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace. Istanbul Airport (IST) is about 50 km away from the Blue Mosque.

Architecture

The Blue Mosque is a stunning example of traditional Turkish architecture that features six minarets, a central dome, and the largest courtyard of any mosque in Istanbul. When it was first constructed by Sultan Ahmet I in between 1609–1616, it was described as “a dream come true” by the people of Istanbul.

The interior is adorned with over 20,000 handmade Iznik tiles. The central dome has an interior diameter of 23 meters (75 feet) and has a height of 43 meters (141 feet). It is made of brick covered in Tungsten mortar and pumice stone. The dome is supported on four pillars which are connected to the walls with pendentives.

The main prayer hall can hold up to 10,000 worshippers at once while another 9,000 can fit within the courtyard at the same time. There are 260 stained glass windows inside along with many calligraphic panels each containing some verse from the Qur’an or Islamic text. In addition, there are several more calligraphic medallions lining the dome above; all these were written by Seyyid Kasim Gubari who also wrote Al-Fatiha on an agate bowl for Sultan Mehmed III on display at Topkapi Palace Museum today. The mihrab features elaborate marblework and mother-of-pearl marquetry work donated by Ahmet I’s mother Turhan Hatice Sultan.

Location

Location: You will find the Blue Mosque at Sultan Ahmet Mahallesi, Fatih/Istanbul. It is located on the south side of the Hippodrome and just a stone’s throw from Hagia Sophia. The area surrounding this top attraction is filled with shops, restaurants and other significant tourist sites in Istanbul.

Entry fee for The Blue Mosque

You can enter the Blue Mosque for free. It is open every day and throughout the day – though it closes for a few hours for prayer in both the morning and the afternoon.

The mosque is split into two parts, one part for men, one part for women. There are also separate areas where you can pray.

If you want to visit any of these special areas, you need to be dressed appropriately: no shorts or sleeveless shirts. If you’re not sure what’s appropriate, there are robes available at entrances that you can borrow to cover yourself up with.

It’s also worth noting that this mosque is still a functioning place of worship; please show respect even if you’re not religious! Also keep in mind that non-Muslim worshippers may not enter during prayer times.

There are audio guides available at the entrances (for around 3 euros) and a gift shop selling books and souvenirs just outside on the side street facing Hagia Sophia.