 | Istanbul Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet ) Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 248 |  |
 | |  |  | Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet ): Roses are Red, Some Mosques are Blue | Tip Rating:   |  |  | |  |
The Sultanahmet Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, is an Istanbul landmark that you just can’t miss. There are loads of mosques in Istanbul, but this one beats them all at the minaret game. It has six, which is virtually unheard of in the Islamic world. With these slender Ottoman-style towers and a series of blue-gray domes, it is an imposing building indeed. In the olden days, the muezzin called the faithful to prayer from high up in the tower, but since the advent of tape recorders and loudspeakers, muezzins have found themselves out of a job. As you walk up the steps from the huge courtyard, you will be directed to the tourist entrance, which is separate from the one used by local Muslims. Near the door is a large bin full of empty plastic bags. Take one for your shoes. With thousands of tourists traipsing in and out every day, imagine how many shoe mix-ups there must have been when the custom was to just leave them outside. What I still can’t figure out is where all those blue Iznik tiles are, that supposedly give the mosque its name. Granted, it was darkish inside, with the light coming from stained glassed windows and tiny lights strung up on iron chandeliers that must have once held candles. But blue was not a dominant color as far as I could see. What caught my eye more were the vast stretches of carpet divided up into rectangles in a pattern that ultimately provided each worshipper with his “own” little prayer rug. My engineer husband, who likes numbers, took a mental measurement and declared each segment 60 x 120 cm. Leave a Comment
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| | | | Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet ): The Blue Mosque | Tip Rating: | | | | |
One of all amazing building on the european side of Istanbul. And built due to an "addicted" sultan (Sultan Ahmet) who wanted to beat the 1000 year older Hagia Sofia close by. The architect Mehmet Aga got the order to make the Blue Mosque even more beautiful than Hagia Sofia, and although I don't think he succeded, it's still an incredible mosque. The building started in 1606, and took ten years to finish. 30 cupols, 43 meters high, plus the only mosque in Istanbul with 6 minarets. Outside the building you'll find a lot of salesmen. I was approached by a guy who wanted to sell 12 postcards of the Blue Mosque to me, and took good time to explain everything for me. He even got me to buy another 12 of other buildings in the city. But suddenly he just grabbed my money (5 lira) and started to ran away. I didn't understand anything, until I saw the police who just made a razzia against the illegal salesmen... Too bad I had picked up the money, otherwise I would have gotten the postcards for free... :) The Blue Mosque has got it's name from the colourful indoor. When you enter you'll feel the warmness from the walls and lamps, and it's quite a unique feeling. Unfortunately this isn't the only thing you'll feel. Due to religious reasons everyone have to take off his/her shoes at the entrance, and the first thing you'll notice when you enter is the smell from everyones socks and foot... Try to not think of it, and look around instead. Leave a Comment Address: Sultanahmet, tram stationDirections: From the shore you'll see it, from the land you'll see it. You have to be more or less blind to miss the Blue Mosque...
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| | | | Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet ): Inside Of The Blue Mosque | Tip Rating: | | | | |
If you thought the outside of the Blue Mosque was impressive, wait until you step inside! As it is still a working mosque, shoes must be taken off before you enter the Blue Mosque. Bags are provided to place your shoes in before you enter though. The intricately decorated Iznik ceramic tiles surround the entire interior of the mosque, many of them blue in color, for which the mosque takes it's name. Several huge chandeliers dangle from above, and a small word of caution with these. Watch your head, at least if you are on the tall side, as they hang fairly low! I found this out a couple of times! :) The many windows with stained glass let in an immense amount of light, allowing for spectacular natural illumination within. The entire floor is covered in prayer rugs, which I would imagine makes this place quite an amazing sight at prayer time. as big as the interior is. Upon exiting, donations are encouraged, which i gladly gave to see this exquisite structure! Directions: Located in Sultanahmet
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