DK Travel : Istanbul : Blue Mosque

Blue Mosque

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Sultan Ahmet I was only 19 when he commissioned this superb mosque, known in Turkish as the Sultan Ahmet Camii. So great was his enthusiasm for the project that at times he even worked alongside his labourers. With his architect, Mehmet Ağa, he wanted to surpass the Süleymaniye Mosque (the work of Ağa’s teacher, Sinan) and Haghia Sophia. The result of their labours, completed in 1616, has become one of the most celebrated mosques in the world, known widely as the Blue Mosque because of the blue İznik tiles in the interior.
To avoid prayer times, make the mosque your first stop in the morning, or visit in the mid-afternoon. There are no places for refreshment inside the mosque complex, but Sultanahmet Square, Divanyolu Caddesi and the Arasta Bazaar offer plenty of possibilities. Try to see the mosque by night at least once – it is beautiful at any time, but especially so when floodlit. For tips on Islamic etiquette See Top 10 Tips on Islamic Etiquette

Top 10 Features

1. The Setting

1. The Setting

To underline the supremacy of Islam over Christian Byzantium, the Blue Mosque was built opposite Haghia Sophia, on the site of the Byzantine royal palace.
2. Entrance

The monumental main entrance to the mosque is rarely used. There are separate entrances for those going to pray and for tourists, around the side of the courtyard.
3. Domes

3. Domes

Semidomes surround the main dome, which is 23.5 m (77 ft) in diameter and 43 m (140 ft) high, and supported by four giant columns, each 5 m (16 ft) in diameter.
4. Minarets

Legend has it that the sultan asked for a minaret capped with altın (gold), but the architect thought he had asked for altı (six) minarets. The sultan was pleased – no mosque apart from the great mosque in Mecca had six minarets.
5. Ablutions Fountain

5. Ablutions Fountain

The fountain at the centre of the mosque’s courtyard is no longer used for ritual ablutions. Instead, the faithful use taps ranged along the outside of the courtyard. Washing the face, arms, neck, feet, mouth and nose is seen as an integral part of the act of prayer.
6. Courtyard

The huge courtyard, which is faced with cool marble from the island of Marmara, has the same dimensions as the interior of the prayer hall. Look up for a splendid view of the mosque’s cascade of domes and semidomes.
7. Tiles

7. Tiles

The majority of the blue İznik tiles that give the mosque its name are too high on the interior walls to examine in detail. There are 20,143 tiles of 70 different styles – fulfilling the order put severe pressure on the İznik tile makers, and the sultan banned anyone else from placing orders until his was complete.
8. Minbar and Mihrab

8. Minbar and Mihrab

At the front of the mosque are the minbar , the pulpit from which the imam delivers his sermons, and the mihrab , a niche that points towards Mecca.
9. Sultan’s Loge

To the left of the mihrab is the galleried box where the sultan prayed, its ceiling painted with arabesque designs.
10. Carpets

The whole of the interior is laid with a modern carpet. Mosques have always had carpets, to cushion the knees and forehead during prayers.

Practical Information

To avoid prayer times, make the mosque your first stop in the morning, or visit in the mid-afternoon. There are no places for refreshment inside the mosque complex, but Sultanahmet Square, Divanyolu Caddesi and the Arasta Bazaar offer plenty of possibilities. Sultanahmet Meydanı (0212) 518 13 19 Open 9am–7pm daily, except during prayers Donations May–Sep: son-et-lumière performances each evening, with Turkish, English, French and German on different nights. Free