Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii)

The cascading domes and six slender minarets of the Sultanahmet Mosque (better known as the “Blue Mosque“) dominate the skyline of Istanbul. In the 17th century, Sultan Ahmet I wished to build an Islamic place of worship that would be even better than the Hagia Sophia, and the mosque named for him is the result. The two great architectural achievements now stand next to each other in Istanbul’s main square, and it is up to visitors to decide which is more impressive.

Blue Mosque was built with order of Sultan Ahmet I by the architect Sedefkar Mehmet Aga, in years between 1609 and 1616. The mosque is located in the historical peninsula and it was built the place where was the Sokullu Mehmet Pasha’s Palace, the palace was demolished and the Blue Mosque was established. After Hagia Sophia had been translated to the museum, Sultan Ahmet became the main mosque of Istanbul.

Architect Mehmet Aga had shown the versatility on the same work, it hadn’t done before. He had drawn the plan of the work, decorated the walls, liked the doors and also he had given the beauty of poetry, color and sound.

The mosque was embellished with more than 20.000 Iznik tiles which were blue, green, yellow and white floral patterns and its great and half domes decorated with mainly blue pen works, therefore, Sultan Ahmet Mosque is called by foreign tourists as “Blue Mosque”. The inside of the mosque is covered with the lyrics of the Koran except from tiles and illuminated with over 200 glasses, also the mosque has six minarets. Courtyard of the mosque is as wide as the mosque itself.