Iconic Blue in Istanbul: Sultan Ahmed Mosque You Cannot Miss

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is considered to be one of the most important mosques of Turkey. It is almost by the side of Istanbul’s old city center, near the Byzantine Hippodrome.Other Ottoman Emperors paid for such expenses from the loots and spoils of the war, but Sultan Ahmed, whose career did not see any great victory of sorts, had to pay from the treasury of the government. Historical data suggests that the mosque’s construction started in the year 1609.

Turkish architecture has a unique feature wherein a cluster of buildings is made around the central area of the mosque. This forms a complex which is managed by a single institution. This cluster feature is called the Kulliye. The Kulliye portion of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque contains the tomb of Sultan Ahmed I, along with a hospice and a madrassa.

The construction comprises of numerous blue tiles which are painted by the hand and these tiles line up the interiors of the mosque by ornamenting everything right from the walls to the pillars. Apart from this, there are lights in the shades of blue which wash the mosque in the color. These lights form a part of the domes, secondary domes, and minarets, of the mosque. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is seated close by to the famous Hagia Sophia Museum.

The architect of the Blue Mosque was Sedefkar Mehmet Aga, who was a disciple of the legendary architect Sinan. Sedefkar Aga was also a poet and an inlayer apart from an architect and has always been well acclaimed for the sincere quality of his work. The Kulliye of the mosque also contains other amenities like a kitchen which has the purpose of serving the poor, and shops which are supposed to raise money for the mosque’s fund.

There is also a library, which despite the fact of it being small, was known to be home to some cherished collections of scriptures. The structure also has an outward positioned courtyard, which can be accessed through any of the multiple small gates creating a proliferated connection between the inner and outer portions of the mosque.

The inner courtyard is slightly elevated in terms of the height as compared to the outer courtyard. Out of the 6 minarets of the mosque, 4 have beautiful triplets of balconies, which offer breathtaking views of the entire city. The rest two minarets have two balconies each. These balconies are for the purpose of calling out prayers and can be reached by way of spiral steps. However, it is to be noted that access is restricted and is closed to the common public. All the tops of the structures like the domes and the minarets are covered in lead.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque has 3 major entrances, decorated by utterly beautiful tiles from the ancient Turkish city. These tiles are over 20 thousand in number and have patterns of flowers and geometrical shapes being focused on.

The particularly famous stained glasses of the mosque are installed in over 260 windows of it, and they are complemented by spell-bounding Koranic verses painted in calligraphic styles on pillars and wall spaces. In order to distribute the bulky weight of the main dome, the structure is made so that the major weight gets distributed upon smaller domes and semi ones too. These domes are supported by 4 colossal pillars, which are also known as ‘legs of the elephant’! The niche of the marble wall, also known as the Mihrab, points towards the direction of the holy city of Mecca.

Other basic things which are created in beautiful detail include a beautiful marble pulpit, where the leader (Imam) goes up to give his sermon. The pulpit is called a ‘Mimber’. There is a separate lodge type room, which was supposed to be the sultan’s private prayer space when he wanted to escape the hubbub of the crowd. There he prayed in private away from the entire crowd which gathered in the particularly famous mosque situated in Turkey’s heartland. Just like any other mosque, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque also has the tradition of rugs being draped all over the space, and the visitors are hence expected to take their footwear off before they enter the mosque.

The mosque allows photography (with flash even) if one wants to, without any problems, so it becomes easier to capture the memorable experience of visiting this serene place and to document its beauty to keep close to oneself. In general, the mosque stays open for all visitors during all times of the day but is closed for a while when the prayer time goes on. There is also a box for donation near the exit, which is used to gain funds for the maintenance of the beautiful mosque. Another noteworthy thing about the place is that if you visit during summers, you might get a chance to witness the famous light & sound shows which run in the complex in the park which is situated just beside the mosque.

Regarding timings, the mosque is also closed on Fridays for the first half up to 2.30 pm because of the Friday prayers. The domes of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque could be as high as about 141 feet, and the vibrant decorative colors are a result of over 20 thousand small pieces of hand- made tiles. The intricate detailing which is put into the decoration of the mosque is something which the eye cannot miss and definitely cannot forget. The visitors say that the energy and sense of serenity which feels after visiting the Sultan Ahmed Mosque is something which is not even describable in words and that the moments of peace which they spent here were quite one of the best moments of spirituality which they had.

When you are in Turkey, no matter where you are, the 141 foot high domes seem to be peeping at you from across the city’s skyline, as the mosque is visible from almost all parts of the city. The domes, as well as the six minarets visible from far off places, sometimes seem to be calling out to people in a nonchalant and spirited manner. In Turkish, the mosque is called the Sultan Ahmet Camii. The undertones and hues of sapphire which perforate through every corner of the mosque cause the name of this mosque to be the Blue Mosque. It is over 400 years now, since the construction of this mosque, and it still stands tall reciting the ballads of the Ottoman power.

Despite being a tourist site, the mosque is still operative. It is because of this reason that proper clothing and conduct should be taken care of so that one’s behavior does not hurt the religious sentiments of some other. As mentioned earlier, one should remove their footwear and get them kept outside the entrance. It is a good detail however, that plastic bags are provided for one to keep their shoes and slippers in that first. The clothing has to be something which can be considered to be modest. Men should be wearing long trousers, and women should be covering their heads with a scarf or any such thing. If one is wearing tight body fitting clothes, those parts of the body have to be covered too. As mentioned earlier, the mosque stays closed for general public visits at five times of the day when the prayer time comes by, so it is advised that one keeps track of the visitation timings.

Here is an interesting story about the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. When it was announced by the Sultan that the new mosque is going to have six towers, there was a huge controversy and turmoil. This great degree of discontent was because the Great Mosque of Mecca used to have six minarets, and it was considered that if the new mosque too had six minarets it would be a sign of gross disrespect. The Sultan had a unique way of solving this problem.

What he did was that he ordered a seventh minaret to be built in the Great Mosque of Mecca, and then six minarets could be built for the new mosque, without any question of offense. Such was the kind of creative thinking which got the Ottoman rulers a great deal of recognition when it came to their lavish spending habits.

When it comes to grand architectural specimens, one can never be disappointed by the contribution which Islam has given to the world. The country of Turkey has a population comprising 99% of Muslims, and the country’s government is highly secular. The history of the country along with its location on the map, that is, between regions of Asia and Europe.

This strategic location proved to be a major point of importance in developing relations between the denominations of Christians and Muslims in the area. An example of the genuineness of this relation would be that the second-ever Muslim place of worship to be visited by any Catholic Pope was the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. The Pope in the case was Pope Benedict XVI, who visited in 2006. In order to further such tradition of inter-religious dialogue, Pope Francis also prayed at the mosque in the year of 2014. Such is the grandeur and power of the Blue Mosque of Istanbul. Now, before visiting, there are certain tips which one could use to get prepared for the same.

The best time to visit the place, as per most travelers is the time before noon because that is when you can click the most beautiful pictures of it. The reasoning behind this is that the most beautiful portion of the structure is west facing, and you don’t want to try to get pictures when the sun rays fall straight. A piece of advice while photographing would be to use wide-angled or panoramic shots, as there is a stark impossibility of not being able to capture the entirety of the mosque’s beauty, which runs in parallels on the long walls and the tall towers.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is one of the most iconic sights you can see in the city of Istanbul. Its prayer calls can be heard from places away and then believers flock to the worship place. Everything, ranging from the chandeliers to the floor rugs captures attention and inspires awe in the minds of the visitors.

Visitors say that the structure looks most beautiful and inspiring when it is the time of evening as the lights and illumination on the 20 thousand Iznik tile pieces and stained glass windows, come into play. The supposed elementary school of the mosque is now used as a tourist information center, or more specifically “Mosque Information Center”. One can get orientation type presentations about the religion of Islam, and about the Sultan Ahmed Mosque.

Now, another piece of information which one could use is to learn about stay options near the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. There are multiple options however, to streamline and aid the decision-making process, the following portion of the guide will be listing out some of the major hotels around the place. It is to be noted that these are mere suggestions and that in no particular order. The first example would be of the Sarnic Hotel.

This place is also called the Ottoman Mansion and is located in Istanbul’s old peninsula region of Sultanahmet. The hotel is at a little 2 minutes away from the Blue Mosque and is well connected or in close proximity to most places of interests nearby. The hotel’s motto is to curb the formal feel of staying at a hotel, and its staff works relentlessly to provide an at-home experience to every visitor, through their popular techniques of traditional Turkish hospitality. The amount of care and attention to detail which is shown by the providers is some warm feeling that one cannot forget.

The next example in this regard would be the Pembe Apart Hotel. Now, this is an option if one is looking for a budget-friendly stay near the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. The structure is in the form of a decent apartment and is not far from the sea. The amenities of the place include free Wi-Fi in common areas, LCD TVs working on satellite connectivity, a kitchenette with refrigerator and microwave. Additional amenities include shower facilities, wireless connectivity, hairdryer, etc. However, there is this minor catch that the building does not have an elevator, and so that has to be kept in mind. The location is particularly good as the property is near the metro station, and is a part of the city center.

Another example would be the Maduro Hotel of Istanbul, which is a particularly popular choice among travelers near the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. The accommodation includes facilities like lounge (shared), garden, Wi-Fi (free), and complimentary continental breakfast too which will be served right by your bed. There are other facilities like that of ironing, and then business-oriented facilities like Xerox or fax, etc. It would be advised to book stays a bit in advance, considering the fact that in peak season most accommodations run busy in Istanbul.

Some other popular places of interest near this property are Basilica Cistern, Grand Bazaar, etc. The hotel also provides airport shuttle services to enhance the convenience of the guests.

These were some bits and pieces of information which one could use while planning a trip to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. What must be realized however is that there can be last-minute localized changes, so before setting out for a day excursion, it is better to ask around and be prepared. Also, thepurpose of this guide was merely to provide information and spread awareness, and it in no way aims to endorse any services mentioned. The travelers should book services well in advance and be prepared with loads of information for a convenient & hassle-free trip. Someone has very rightly said that an informed traveler is a happy traveler.