Blue Mosque Tour | Sultan Ahmet Mosque Tour | Blue Mosque- Sedefkar Mehmet Aga

Sultan Ahmet I was the 14th sultan of the dynasty, became sultan at the age of 14 and rulled 14 years and died at 28.

Blue Mosque was built between 1609-1616, it was used to be part of a large complex, including a covered bazaar, Turkish baths, public kitchens, a hospital, schools, a caravanserai, and the mausoleum of Sultan Ahmet I and members of his family. Most of these buildings have not survived to our time. This is the only royal mosque in the Ottoman empire with six minarets which decorate Istanbul sky line with a magnificent display.

The main entrance to Sultan Ahmet Mosque is on the Hippodrome side. There are three entrances to the mosque interior. The mosque is completely enveloped by an outer courtyard, from this there are three entrances to the inner courtyard.

The inner courtyard and the edifice itself are elevated to add to its displayed grandeur. From the inner courtyard one can view the domes, rising above one another in perfect harmony, over the symbolic ablution fountain in the middle and the surrounding porticoes. Very rich pen-decorative woks, tiles and stained glasses complement the exterior view. The interior has a centralized plan; the main and side domes rise on four large piers, called elephant feet, that support broad and pointed arches. The walls of the galleries surrounding the three sides of the interior chamber are decorated by over 20,000 exquisite Iznik tiles. The areas above the tiles and the inside of the domes are decorated with amazingly colorful paintwork.

The floor is covered with carpets wall to wall, as in all mosques. Next to the mihrab (niche aligned towards Mecca) opposite the main entrance, there is a marble minber (pulpit) with exquisite marble work. On the other side is the sultan's balcony (lodge). The ambient atmosphere inside the mosque is very light and relaxing as 260 windows flood the day light into the interior space, which is covered by a dome 23.5 m in diameter and 43 m high.

In summer months lazer light and sound shows are organized in the park outside the mosque. Sultan Ahmet Mosque is a focal point in all city tours, together with the numerous monumental buildings and museums in the vicinity.

I have put visiting the mosques in a workable order, so you can ask others if you are discussing with some other people, how you would like to see a tour of the mosques. This is something what I had promised you earlier. Then I will go to sleep in half an hour time, if you have questions I can answer them for you next day in the morning.

V I S I T I N G M O S Q U E S O F I S T A N B U L

Day 1

- Blue Mosque,

- Tomb of Sultans

- Nuri Osmaniye Mosque (light of Ottomans mosque)

- Sultan Bayazit II Mosque

- Two historical mosques of unusual structure, one in underground and the other called Arab Mosque that is built in 717 by the Ummayad sultan Mesleme bin Abdülmelik. This is known as the oldest mosque in the city built some 700 years before the Ottomans conquered Istanbul.

Day 2

- Suleyman the Magnificent Mosque,

- Shehzade Mosque, bulilt by the Suleyman the magnificent for his beloved son, crown prince Muhammed.

- Fatih Mosque, the mosque built by the conqurer Sultan Muhammed after the conquest of Istanbul.

-Tomb of the conqurer himself

-Eyup Sultan Mosque, built beside the tomb of Ebu Eyyûb Halid bin Zeyd or Ebu Eyyûb El-ensarî, one of the first moslems of Islam in his whose house prophet Mohammed stayed when he moved to Medina from Mecca. He was martyred out side the walls of Constantinople at the siege of the city when he was at his 80's.

- Few more mosques built to honour those heros of Islam who lost their lives out side the city walls in 8th C AD.

- Several tombs, where sultans buried.

- One Imperial Mosque, New Mosque, one of the largest dating to 17th C

- Rustem Pasha Mosque, built by the grand vizier of Suleyman the magnificent

It was built during the reign of Sultan Ahmet I from whom the mosque takes its real name. The popularly known " Blue Mosque" is a Western term and widely used among the visitors. The term originates from the precious Iznik tiles which are dominantly blue in colour. The chief architect was Sedefkar Mehmet Aga who decorated the interior fastidiously like a jeweler. He was the assistant architect of Mimar Sinan who was the master architect served Suleyman the magnificent. The mosque dimensions 64m x 72m base, a height of 43 m and dome of 23.5 m diameter.

Be informed ! Opening Hours: Daily 9am-7pm; access is restricted during prayer times that is here noon and afternoon prayer times. The prayer times are observed as the position of the sun. The access to visitors is denied about one hour each time at prayers.

The visitors are advised to abide with the dress code. If you do not have your own scarf the care takers will help you at the entrance. As in all mosques shoes have to be taken off, the general practice here to have them hand-carried in plastic bags to prevent the mosque from the spill of dirt and dust. In line with this clean socks are appreciated.

Mosque entrance and exit are through different doors.