Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque)

With its six slender minarets and a cascade of domes rising above Sultanahmet Square, the Blue Mosque is one of the most recognisable silhouettes of Istanbul. Officially called the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii), it earned its popular name from the blue tones of the İznik tiles and painted decoration that cover its interior.

History

Sultan Ahmed I was only nineteen when he ordered the mosque in 1609, wishing to leave a monument that could stand beside Hagia Sophia. The architect was Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa, a pupil of the great Mimar Sinan, and the complex was completed in 1616. It was built on the site of the Byzantine Great Palace, along the edge of the ancient Hippodrome. Like all imperial mosques, it formed a külliye, a complex that included a madrasa, a hospice, a market and the tomb of the sultan, who died in 1617, just a year after the mosque was finished. A long restoration that began in 2018 was completed in 2023, revealing the interior decoration in fresh detail.

What to See

The prayer hall is crowned by a central dome about 23.5 metres in diameter and 43 metres high, supported by four massive fluted piers known as "elephant feet" and surrounded by semi-domes. More than 20,000 hand-made İznik tiles, in over fifty tulip, carnation and cypress designs, decorate the lower walls and galleries, while more than 200 stained-glass windows fill the space with soft light.

• Six minarets – an unusual number at the time, giving the mosque its unique skyline.
• İznik tiles – some of the finest seventeenth-century tile work in Istanbul, especially in the upper galleries.
• Mihrab and minbar – carved white marble pointing towards Mecca.
• The courtyard – as large as the prayer hall, surrounded by a domed arcade with a central ablution fountain.
• Tomb of Sultan Ahmed I – just outside the mosque, facing the Sultanahmet park.

Visitor Tips

The Blue Mosque is an active place of worship and entry is free. Visitors use a separate entrance on the Hippodrome side, and the mosque closes to tourists for about an hour and a half around each of the five daily prayers, with the longest break at Friday noon. Women should cover their hair, and everyone must cover shoulders and knees; headscarves and wraps are usually provided at the entrance. Shoes are removed and carried in a bag. Early morning, after the first visiting hours open, is the quietest time to visit.

The mosque is the natural partner to Hagia Sophia, which stands only a few hundred metres away across the gardens. A guided Istanbul old city tour with Inca Tour typically combines the Blue Mosque with the Hippodrome, the Basilica Cistern, Topkapı Palace and the Grand Bazaar, giving you the full story of Byzantine and Ottoman Istanbul in one day.