TurkeyTravelPlanner.com Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey

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Istanbul's imperial Mosque of Sultan Ahmet I (Sultan Ahmet Camii), facing the Hippodrome in the center of Old Istanbul (map), is one of the top sights in this historic city.

Called the Blue Mosque by foreign visitors because of its interior tiles, it disappoints if you're looking for lots of blue because the blue tiles are mostly on the inaccessible upper floors. Otherwise, the mosque is among the finest examples of Istanbul's wonderful imperial Ottoman mosques.

The mosque (built 1603-17) is the masterwork of Ottoman architect Sedefkâr Mehmet Ağa. It's built on the site of the Great Palace of Byzantium, on the southeastern side of the Hippodrome (map).

With its six minarets and a great cascade of domes, the mosque is a worthy sibling to Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia) just a few minutes' stroll to the north. More...

The Blue Mosque has fascinating secrets revealed on my Magic of the Blue Mosque page.

Because of the intense crowds, and the fact that the Sultan Ahmet is a working mosque, you must plan your visit carefully. It's closed to non-worshippers for 45 minutes before the call to prayer, 30 minutes afterwards, and all morning on Friday (until 14:30/2:30pm) , the Muslim holy day. Admission is free; donations gratefully accepted.

Here are the prayer times so you can plan your visit.

Splendid as the Sultan Ahmet I Mosque is, it's really no more splendid than several of the other great imperial mosques of Istanbul. If you can't stand crowds, you could substitute any of the other great imperial mosques and have a similar, but less hectic, less crowded and longer visit. More...

The way to properly appreciate the splendid architecture of the Blue Mosque is to approach it from the Hippodrome (that is, from the west) so you can appreciate the Magic of the Blue Mosque.

If you are a non-Muslim visitor, you must enter by the door on the south side of the mosque (to the right as you enter from the Hippodrome. If you're entering from the Ayasofya side, the tourist entrance is on the opposite side of the mosque.)

For lots more photos of the Blue Mosque, see the TTP Photo Galleries of Istanbul and Istanbul in Winter.



Magic of the Blue Mosque

Bright Sun, Strong Tea excerpt

Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia)

Hippodrome

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Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
Above, Istanbul's Blue Mosque
is not blue on the outside.

Below, the Magic of the Blue Mosque.

 
Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey