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Blue Mosque | Architectural Grandeur of Istanbul

The Blue Mosque in Istanbul is a historic mosque known for its age-old architecture and rich history. The mosque is known as the Blue Mosque because of the blue tiles that encircle the interior design walls. The mosque was built between 1609 and 1616 under the reign of Ahmed I and features the founder's tomb, a madrasa, and a hospice. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is still used as a mosque, but it has also grown in popularity as a tourist attraction in Istanbul.


It was commissioned by Sultan Ahmet I and built by Mehmet Aa, a notable Sinan disciple, and inaugurated for worship in 1616. Since 1985, the mosque has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is one of the city's most popular tourist attractions.The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is the perfect fusion of centuries of Ottoman mosque and Byzantine church construction. It is the final grand mosque of the Ottoman Empire's classical phase, combining Byzantine elements from the surrounding Hagia Sophia with conventional Islamic design. The architect has adopted his master Sinan's ideals, striving for massive grandeur, majesty, and magnificence.


The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is the first of Turkey's two mosques with six minarets. When the number of minarets was disclosed, the Sultan was chastised for being arrogant, because it was the same as the number of minarets at Mecca's Kaaba mosque. He remedied this dilemma by ordering the construction of a seventh minaret at the Mecca mosque.


The Istanbul Blue Mosque interior is lined with more than 20,000 unique ceramic tiles, created in Iznik city in more than fifty various tulip designs, on the lower levels and at every pier. Lower level tiles have a classic design, but gallery level tiles have a more flamboyant design with flowers, fruit, and cypresses.

Blue Mosque Istanbul Tours

Full Day: Classic Istanbul Tour Including Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace
Full Day: Classic Istanbul Tour Including Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace

This 8-hour journey begins at Hippodrome Square and ends at the Blue Mosque, one of Istanbul's most famous attractions. Then go to the St. Sophia Museums, which holds one of the most beautiful Byzantine churches in the world. Continue to Topkapi Palace, the Great Ottoman Empire's imperial home and now a museum with a vast collection of porcelains and religious items. The tour concludes with a visit to Little Hagia Sofia and the Grand Bazaar, which offers a great range of luxurious handmade carpets, jewellery, and leather to souvenir shoppers. Throughout the tour, lunch will be provided at a local restaurant.


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Istanbul Tour with Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar
Istanbul Tour with Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar

This full-day tour of Istanbul brings you to some of the city's most historic sites. In Istanbul, Hagia Sophia is a magnificent Byzantine structure and one of the world's great monuments. Sultanahmet Mosque is known as the Blue Mosque because of the blue tiles that ring the interior design walls. The Ottoman Empire's great sultans used the Topkapi Palace as their principal palace and administrative hub. The Hippodrome of Constantinople was a public arena in Sultanahmet/Istanbul where chariot races were held. The Grand Bazaar is the world's oldest covered bazaar, dating back to the 15th century.

Blue Mosque and Sultanahmet Tour
Blue Mosque and Sultanahmet Tour

The Blue Mosque and Sultanahmet Square, both UNESCO World Heritage monuments, will transport you back in time. As you tour Istanbul's centuries-old Byzantine and Ottoman legacy, learn about the city's rich history with your experienced guide. You will be able to visit Byzantine and Ottoman treasures as well as learn more about Istanbul's fascinating past with this ticket. You can also learn about the city's past and contemporary culture by visiting some of the city's most notable historical landmarks. It is possible to tour the Hippodrome, which includes two obelisks and the Serpentine Column.

Private Tour: Istanbul in One Day Sightseeing Tour including Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace
Private Tour: Istanbul in One Day Sightseeing Tour including Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace

The Blue Mosque Istanbul Tours, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace in Istanbul's Sultanahmet area are featured on this private, escorted day excursion. Admire these famous structures with your knowledgeable guide on your private cruise. On this full-day private tour, you'll see classic sites including the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. You'll also learn about the underground Cistern, or Nakkas Cistern, as well as Ottoman architecture and museums at Topkapi Palace's museums and the Grand Bazaar, a shopping heaven.

Morning Istanbul: Half-Day Tour with Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome and Grand Bazaar
Morning Istanbul: Half-Day Tour with Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome and Grand Bazaar

A half-day tour of Istanbul will take you to the city's most important historical and cultural monuments. The Hippodrome, the Blue Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar are all interesting places to visit. Entrance fees, as well as hotel pickup and drop-off, are included for your convenience. Admire the Byzantine splendour of Hagia Sophia and the tiles that give the 17th-century Blue Mosque its name in Istanbul, Turkey. The tour also includes a visit to the Grand Bazaar, a winding covered market where you can learn more about the Hippodrome's past.

Bosphorus Cruise with Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Topkapı Palace
Bosphorus Cruise with Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Topkapı Palace

You will be able to have the best ever local Istanbul experience with a professional certified tour guide if you purchase this ticket. You will see the city through a different lens after this trip, and you will not be the same person you were before. The day will begin with a visit to the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque in Sultanahmet. Following that, you will go to Topkapi Palace. You will hear several histories of the Roman and Ottoman Empires. Following some free time for lunch, you will be transported on a Bosphorus trip to explore Istanbul from the water.


Also Checkout Dolmabahce Palace ticket price here.

History of Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque Istanbul History is very fascinating, This Sultanahmet Mosque, one of Istanbul's most remarkable architectural features, is also one of the city's most prominent emblems. It's not just because of its amazing appearance that it's so captivating. The Blue Mosque Istanbul Turkey stands out from other mosques in a number of ways, including being the first to have six minarets.


Ahmed the First, who sat on the throne when he was 14 years old, is the mosque's commissioner. At Sultan Ahmet I's suggestion, the architect Mehmet Aga erected the Blue Mosque Istanbul Turkey, which is considered one of the most important achievements in Ottoman history. Many sources claim that Ahmed the First, the 14th Ottoman Sultan, who ascended to the throne at the age of 14 in 1603, was a devout Muslim. Many of Istanbul's hills were dotted with mosques carrying the names of the sultans at the start of the 17th century. Sultan Ahmet also desired to construct a shrine of unparalleled beauty as a sign of gratitude to God.


The Blue Mosque Istanbul turkey is thought to be the final magnificent mosque of the classical period. It is a hybrid of two architectural styles: Byzantine Christian and traditional Islamic features. Parts of the Grand Palace of Constantinople were demolished to make way for this massive structure. The mosque is notable for its five main domes, eight smaller domes, and six minarets. In Turkey, only three mosques have as many minarets as this one. It boasts a wide and beautiful courtyard with ornate decorations.

Architecture of Blue Mosque

Architecture
Architecture

One main dome, six minarets, and eight minor domes make up the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. The mosque's design is the result of two centuries of Ottoman mosque construction. It is the final grand mosque of the classical period, combining Byzantine Christian elements from the surrounding Hagia Sophia with conventional Islamic design. Sedefkâr Mehmed Aa, the architect, combined his master Sinan's ideals, striving for overwhelming immensity, majesty, and splendor.

Interior
Interior

The Istanbul Blue Mosque interior is adorned with more than 20,000 handcrafted znik style ceramic tiles, created in Iznik (ancient Nicaea) in more than fifty various tulip designs, on the lower levels, and at every pier. Lower level tiles have a classic design, however, the gallery level tiles have a more flamboyant design with images of flowers, fruit, and cypresses. The Iznik master oversaw the production of the tiles. The sultan decreed the price to be paid for each tile, and tile prices, in general, climbed over time. As a result, the quality of the building's tiles gradually deteriorated.

Exterior
Exterior

Except for the addition of turrets on the corner domes, the facade of the vast forecourt was erected in the same fashion as the facade of the Süleymaniye Mosque. The court is almost the same size as the mosque and is encircled by a continuous arched arcade. On both sides, there are restrooms. In comparison to the courtyard, the central hexagonal fountain is modest. Architecturally, the arcade's enormous yet narrow gateway to the courtyard stands out.It has a remarkable stalactite structure and is crowned with a little ribbed dome above a towering semi-dome. Its historic primary school serves as a "Mosque Information Center," which is located next to its outside wall on the side of Hagia Sophia.

Minarets
Minarets

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is one of two mosques in Turkey with six minarets, the other being the Sabanci Mosque in Adana. The Sultan was admonished for being haughty when the number of minarets was revealed, because it was the same as the number of minarets at Mecca's Kaaba mosque. He solved the problem by ordering the mosque in Mecca to build a seventh minaret. The Blue Mosque Istanbul Turkey features four minarets on its four corners, each with three balconies with stalactite corbels, however, the two others at the forecourt's end only have two balconies.

Amazing Facts About Blue Mosque

Amazing Facts About Blue Mosque
  • Sultanahmet mosque is the name given to Istanbul's famed Blue Mosque. It is named after Sultan Ahmed I, who wished to construct a house of devotion following the tragic war events. The enormous structure and architecture of the Blue Mosque Istanbul Turkey were in direct conflict with the other important house of worship, Hagia Sophia.

  • Sultan Ahmed began building the mosque when he was only 19 years old, but he died at the young age of 27 and was only able to witness and enjoy the architectural marvel for a year.

  • The famed Blue Mosque is known as the Blue Mosque because of the magnificent tulip-patterned tiles used in the mosque's interior ornamentation.

  • The ancient mosque complex had the tombs of Sultan Ahmed I, his wife, and three sons, as well as an infirmary, madrasa, school, market, and imaret, but most of it was demolished in the 19th century.

  • The main entrance on the west side is significantly more imposing than the non-northern worshiper's entrance. To protect the mosque's blessedness and decorum, travelers are asked and assisted to utilize the north entrance for mobility.

  • Over 200 stained-glass windows were once a prominent attraction and a source of illumination for the mosque's interiors, but they were later replaced by less appealing copies.

  • During the summer, tourists can enjoy a light display with a historical tale.

Plan Your Visit To Blue Mosque Istanbul

Timings
Location & Best Time to Visit
Tips for Visiting the Blue Mosque
Timings

Prayer Times at Blue Mosque- Imsak / Fajr: Two hours before dawn - Güneş /Tulu: Dawn - Ögle / Zuhr: Midday- Ikindi / Asr: Afternoon- Aksam / Maghrib: Sunset- Yatsi / Isha: Right before last light of the day.


Blue Mosque Istanbul Opening Timings - 08:30 AM - 11:30 PM- 13:00 PM - 14:30 PM- 15:30 PM - 16:45 PM

FAQ's of Blue Mosque

Where is the Blue Mosque in Turkey?

    Blue Mosque is located in Sultan Ahmet, Istanbul.

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