Where is Blue Mosque Situated?

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque usually referred to as the Blue Mosque in Istanbul or Sultan Ahmet Camii in Turkish, is a historical imperial mosque from the Ottoman Empire that is situated in Istanbul, Turkey. Ahmed-I oversaw its construction between 1609 and 1616. The mosque’s interior walls are decorated with hand-painted blue tiles, and at night, lights surround the mosque’s five major domes, six minarets, and eight minor domes, bathing it in a sea of blue. 

It is situated next to the Hagia Sophia, which served as Istanbul’s main mosque before the Blue Mosque was built and is a well-liked tourist destination. In 1985, the Blue Mosque was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list as part of Istanbul’s “Historic Areas”

Blue Mosque Background:

Under Sultan Ahmed I’s orders, architect Mehmet Aa constructed the Blue Mosque between 1609 and 1616. It was created as an imperial display of power to contrast the massive Hagia Sophia Mosque across Sultanahmet Square from it. Contrary to the Hagia Sophia, it is supported by four “elephant foot” pillars, and the central dome, which is virtually square in shape and measures 23.5 meters in diameter and 43 meters in height, is surrounded by four semi-domes. The inside of this building, which features more than 20,000 handmade porcelain Iznik tiles decorated with a variety of tulip, rose, carnation, and lily designs and is well-lit by 260 windows, has earned it the nickname “Blue Mosque”

The Mosque’s Blue Interior:

You can find out inside why it is called the Blue Mosque if you’re curious. The interior of the mosque is decorated beautifully in Islamic style, giving it an oriental feel. The inside of the Blue Mosque is decorated with verses from the Quran and sayings from the prophet Muhammad. You can see the gorgeous blue ceramic tiles that cover the inside of the domes, which is how the mosque acquired its name. These handmade tiles include classic Ottoman designs that include images of tulips, fruits, fruits, lilies, and carnations. They originated from the city of Znik, which is renowned for creating these magnificent ornamental tiles. The mosque’s top levels are well-lit because of the natural light that filters through more than 200 exquisite stained glass windows. A crimson carpet covers the floor; it is frequently replaced when it becomes worn out and is typically donated by members of the religious community.

The Lore Surrounding The Minarets:

At the time, antagonism was sparked by the Sultanahmet Mosque’s six minarets, which are unique among mosques in Istanbul. Previously, only the Prophet’s mosque in Mecca had such a show, and the sultan was chastised for having a bit of an inflated sense of self. The architect was aware of the sultan’s alleged request for alt-n minarets (minarets made of gold) (which means six minarets). Another, less credible tradition holds that the architect chose to build six gold minarets instead of one because he thought they were too expensive.