Blue Mosque Review

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Blue Mosque

  • Address: Sultanahmet Sq., Istanbul

Fodor's Review:

Only after you enter the Blue Mosque do you understand why it is so named. Inside, 20,000 shimmering blue-green Iznik tiles are interspersed with 260 stained-glass windows; calligraphy and intricate patterns are painted on the ceiling. After the dark corners and stern, sour faces of the Byzantine mosaics in Aya Sofya, this light-filled mosque is positively uplifting. Such a favorable comparison was the intention of architect Mehmet Aga, known as Sedefkar ("Worker of Mother-of-Pearl"), whose goal was to surpass Justinian's crowning achievement (Aya Sofya). At the bequest of Sultan Ahmet I (ruled 1603-17), he spent just eight years creating this masterpiece of Ottoman craftsmanship, beginning in 1609, with the Sultan himself even lending a hand in the construction, and many believe he did indeed succeed in outdoing the splendor of Aya Sofya.

But Mehmet Aga went a little too far when he surrounded the massive structure, studded with domes and semidomes, with six minarets: this number briefly linked the Blue Mosque with the Elharam Mosque in Mecca—and this could not be allowed. So Sultan Ahmet I was forced to send Mehmet Aga down to the Holy City to build a seventh minaret for Elharam and reestablish the eminence of that mosque. Ahmet, his wife, and his three sons are interred in the stunningly tiled türbe (mausoleum) at a corner of the complex, which at one time also included such traditional Muslim institutions as an almshouse, an infirmary, and a school. From here—or from the Hippodrome or any other good viewpoint—you can see the genius of Mehmet Aga, who didn't attempt to surpass the massive dome of Aya Sofya but instead created a secession of domes of varying sizes to cover the massive interior space, creating an effect that is both whimsical and uplifting.

  • Cost: Mosque free
  • Open: Blue Mosque: daily 9-5, access restricted during prayer times, particularly at midday on Fri
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