Sultan Ahmet the Blue Mosque is with no dout one of the most popular and spectacular sights in İstanbul. If you ask any tourist in Turkey about a must go historical sight to visit of course you will hear the name of Sultan Ahmet Camii. The reason for naming it as the Blue Mosque is due to the blue tiles adorning the interior walls. This great mosque was built over the period 1609-1616 for the Sultan Ahmet, that’s why it’s named after him. The Blue Mosque is located facing both Hagia Sofia and the Hippodrome on the site of the Byzantine emperors. It is decorated with a magnificent series of domes and semi-domes with six tall minarets on the four corners of the mosque. It also has a spacious courtyard. The architectural beauty of the entrance gates, the majestic chandeliers, the blue tiles adorning the roof and the stained glass windows are very remarkable features of Sultan Ahmet Camii. Most of the historical mosques include a tomb for the founder, also they include a madrasah and a hospice.
The Blue mosque is one of the greatest and most important attractions that can be visited in Istanbul.
Sultan Ahmet Camii Architecture
It was designed by the architect Sedefkar Mehmet Ağa. He was aiming for the majesty which is always seen in the great architect Sinan’s designs however, the inside lacks the creativity of Sinan’s buildings but it is still seen to be the last great mosque of the classical period.
The Six cylindrical Minarets
The Sultan Ahmet mosque is one of the only two mosques having six minarets. When it was built that way he was criticized for the number of the minarets, since it was the same as the number of minarets as in the Ka’aba in Mecca. The Sultan had to solve this problem by paying for a seventh minaret to be built for the Ka’aba in Mecca.
Four minarets are located at each corner of the mosque and each one has three balconies. While the other two minarets are located in the forecourt and only have two balconies.
Minarets are originally used to call for prayers and the imam had to climb the stairs of the minaret five times a day to announce the call to prayer, however in the present times a public address system is used which can be heard across the old town, accordingly other mosques in the area echo the call.
Visiting Hours of the Blue Mosque:
Opening Times / Closing Times
08:30 11:30
13:00 14:30
15:30 16:45
Opening For Friday
13:30
These hours may differ according to seasons and conditions.
How to reach to the Blue Mosque:
You can use the tramvay:
T1 Kabataş-Bağcılar Tramvay Line
Or the public bus:
TB1 SULTANAHMET-DOLMABAHÇE-SULTANAHMET
TB2 SULTANAHMET-ÇAMLICA-SULTANAHMET
Group Entrance:
Group leaders must contact the Mosque staff before visiting . you can get contact details on the website.
Ticket Sales/Office:
You don’t need a ticket for visiting The Mosque.
Disabled Access:
Visit suitable for people with reduced mobility.
Dress code:
For males they should wear a t-shirt or a Short, swimming suits or just wearing a short is not allowed.
For females they need to be wearing a headscarf and their clothes should be covering her body and you can be provided with a headscarf and a covering gown at the entrance of the mosque.
Shoes are to be taken off before entering and there are plastic bags can be provided at the entrance as well.
