Sultan Ahmed Mosque

It is popularly known as the Blue Mosque because of the more than 20,000 handmade ceramic Iznik tiles that line its interior walls. These tiles feature intricate floral patterns and are dominated by various shades of blue. The blue tiling creates a mesmerizing, ethereal atmosphere that gives the mosque its famous nickname.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is highly distinctive for having six minarets, which is incredibly unusual in Islamic architecture. When it was completed in 1616, it caused a major controversy because the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca was the only mosque at the time with six. Sultan Ahmed I resolved this by funding the construction of a seventh minaret in Mecca.

The mosque was commissioned by the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I, who ruled the empire during the early 17th century. Construction began in 1609 and was completed in 1616, just a year before the Sultan's death. It was designed by the royal architect Sedefkar Mehmed Agha.

Yes, the mosque is a major tourist attraction in Istanbul's Sultanahmet Square and is open to the public outside of daily prayer times. Tourists must enter through a designated gate, remove their shoes, and women are required to cover their hair. There is no entrance fee, though donations for the upkeep of the historic site are appreciated.