Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Mah At Meydani Caddesi No 7 34122, Istanbul, Turkey, EU / Built: 1609-1616 / Architect: Sedefkâr Mehmed Agha / Length: 240 ft / Width: 213 ft / Dome Height: 141 ft / Minaret: 6 / Architectural Style: Islamic Late Classical Ottoman

The Blue Mosque in Istanbul, also known by its official name, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque is an Ottoman-era historical imperial mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey. A functioning mosque, it also attracts large numbers of tourist visitors. It was constructed between 1609 and 1616 during the rule of Ahmed I. Its Külliye contains Ahmed's tomb, a madrasah and a hospice. Hand-painted blue tiles adorn the mosque’s interior walls, and at night the mosque is bathed in blue as lights frame the mosque’s five main domes, six minarets and eight secondary domes. It sits next to the Hagia Sophia, the principal mosque of Istanbul until the Blue Mosque's construction and another popular tourist site. The Blue Mosque was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1985 under the name of "Historic Areas of Istanbul".

After the Peace of Zsitvatorok and the crushing loss in the 1603–18 war with Persia, Sultan Ahmed I decided to build a large mosque in Istanbul to reassert Ottoman power. It would be the first imperial mosque for more than forty years. While his predecessors had paid for their mosques with the spoils of war, Ahmed I procured funds from the Treasury, because he had not gained remarkable victories. The construction was started in 1609 and completed in 1616.

Having been paid from the public treasury rather than from the sultan's war booty, as was done normally, it caused the anger of the ulama, the Muslim jurists. The mosque was built on the site of the palace of the Byzantine emperors, in front of the basilica Hagia Sophia (at that time, the primary imperial mosque in Istanbul) and the hippodrome, a site of significant symbolic meaning as it dominated the city skyline from the south. Big parts of the south shore of the mosque rest on the foundations, the vaults of the old Grand Palace.

The Blue Mosque has five main domes, six minarets, and eight secondary domes. The design is the culmination of two centuries of Ottoman mosque development. It incorporates many Byzantine elements of the neighboring Hagia Sophia with traditional Islamic architecture and is considered to be the last great mosque of the classical period. The architect, Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa, synthesized the ideas of his master Sinan, aiming for overwhelming size, majesty and splendor. The upper area is decorated with approximately 20,000 hand-painted glazed ceramic in 60 different tulip patterns. The lower stories are illuminated by 200 stained glass windows. The mosque is preceded by a forecourt with a large fountain and special area for ablution. An iron chain hangs in the court entrance on the western side. Only the Sultan was allowed to ride into the mosque horseback, and he would need to lower his head to not hit the chain, a symbolic gesture ensuring the humility of the ruler before Allah.

By way of his works he left a decided mark on Istanbul. The square on which the Blue Mosque is situated became known as Sultanahmet. This mosque can be considered the culmination of his career. Mehmed Agha, who was the last student of Mimar Sinan, had completed his mission by adding his brighter, colorful architectural style to that of his master teacher.

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mosque,_Istanbul

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Taken in: Turkey / Istanbul / Sultanahmet (show map)

Taken on: July 10, 2023

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Blue Mosque

Sultanahmet Mah At Meydani Caddesi No 7 34122

Turkey

Built: 1609-1616

Architect: Sedefkâr Mehmed Agha

Length: 240 ft

Width: 213 ft

Dome Height: 141 ft

Minaret: 6

Architectural Style: Islamic Late Classical Ottoman

historical site

building

architecture

real estate

place of worship

city

cityscape

street photography

old city

historical destination

tourist destination

Europe

Sultan Ahmed Mosque

Ottoman-era historical imperial mosque

Ahmed I. Its Külliye

Ahmed's tomb

a madrasah

hospice

main domes

six minarets

eight secondary domes

UNESCO World Heritage Site list

illuminated by 200 stained glass windows

000 hand-painted glazed ceramic in 60 different tulip patterns « less

Sets appears in: • City of Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey, EU

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