Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Blue Mosque Reopened!

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque due to its Iznik tiles decorated with blue color, was built by the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I between 1609-1617. The mosque was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

The Blue Mosque has undergone five restorations in its history. However, the latest restoration project is considered the most comprehensive one since its construction. The restoration work, which began in 2017 and is expected to be completed in the middle of 2022, is being carried out by the General Directorate of Foundations. As part of the restoration work, the mosque's domes, minarets, courtyard, interior decorations, tiles, and stained glass have been renewed. In addition, the mosque's electrical, water, heating, and lighting systems have also been modernized.

Hayrullah Çelebi, Istanbul Foundations 1st Regional Director, stated that during the restoration processes, they first look at the safety and stability of the buildings, and said,

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"We have carried out all the checks on the concrete walls, ground surveys, and the static checks of the minaret for the preservation of the Sultanahmet Mosque for the future and earthquake safety.

We detected a problem in three of our minarets. Quickly obtaining approved projects from the relevant committees, the stones of these minarets were individually removed and appropriate maintenance and repairs were carried out. The minarets were then reassembled using the appropriate methods.We first enclosed this 1200 square meter area with steel legs and steel profiles. Then our work on it continued with pen work, gold leaf work on the dome, stone cleaning, window details, and cement purification.

We changed all the lighting and electrical components inside the mosque. We removed all the chandeliers inside one by one and carried out maintenance and repairs in our own laboratories.

During the cleaning of the large chandelier, we came across the stamp of 1835, which shows us that it was made during the period of Sultan Mahmud II. We also replaced all the coverings on the half dome, surrounding dome, and main dome of the mosque.

Sedefkar Mehmet Ağa, the architect of the Blue Mosque, also made the woodwork and shutters in the mosque. We completed all maintenance and repairs in our carpentry shop. Afterwards, in the covered arcade of the courtyard, approximately 5 thousand marble blocks were removed one by one, numbered, brought to appropriate condition and processed, and then placed back in their places."

So, the restoration of the Blue Mosque is completed and the mosque will be open for visit and worship on today, April 21st.