Having read stories about constantinople in history books, ive wanted to come here since i. I was thrilled that i got to tour it on day one, because it was mighty hard to concentrate on anything else when the smooth domes of the mosque kept winking at me from across the city. The blue mosque in istanbul, or to give it its official name sultan ahmet camii, is both a place of worship and a major tourist attraction receiving four to five million visitors every year. The mosque took more than over 20,000 handmade ceramic iznik tiles that decorate the. In addition to general information about the sultan ahmed mosque blue mosque in istanbul, turkey, it shows the photos of all of the major monuments in and around the mosque. It was designed as an imperial show of strength to complement the imposing. Read more inspire your inbox sign up for daily fun facts about this day in history, updates, and special offers. Built four hundred years ago, 160317, by sultan ahmet i, it was designed to rival the great church of haghia sophia, just a stones throw to the north. Plan and view of the blue mosque 160916, built by sultan ahmed.
It was constructed between 1609 and 1616 during the rule of ahmed i. The 10 best hotels near blue mosque in istanbul, turkey. However, learning about the structures background will tell a traveler that the blue mosque is called such because of the blue tiles in its interiors. Rudolf stricker, creative commons at first glance, the blue mosque sultan ahmed mosque a famous structure in istanbul seems to be a misnomer. The blue mosque was designed to reflect the imperial strength of the ruler to complement the imposing hagia sophia, what is clearly exposed in its elephant feet representation pillars, the central dome which is surrounded by a cluster of smaller semidomes.
Photo by dennis jarvis the mosque is designed by the architect, mehmet agha, however sultan ahmed also assisted in its work as he was very anxious to complete his magnificent creation. Selimiye mosque the most magnificent structure of the. The hotel staff is beyond supportive, very humble, the hotel manager orhan is a amazing, has great conversation, and in english, that too in turkey. The building is not just mosque, it is also a social life complex. It was built by said sultan between 1609 and 1616, inaugurated in. The blue mosque called sultanahmet camii in turkish is an historical mosque in istanbul. When the number of minarets was revealed, the sultan was criticized for being presumptuous, since this was the same minarets number as at the mosque of the kaaba in mecca. Visitors are welcome to visit historic mosques such as the blue mosque, nicknamed because of its blue tiles and at the same time experience a religion that still packs the house. Sultan ahmet camii, also known as the blue mosque, is a. The blue mosque called sultanahmet camii in turkish was built by sedefkar mehmet aga in the sultan 1. Sultan ahmed mosque simple english wikipedia, the free. Blue mosque sultanahmet camii blue mosque, sultan ahmed. Like i was saying in my other comment, i talked about historical landmarks and artifacts.
Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. History of the blue mosque the mosque was madetoorder by sultan ahmed i when he was just nineteenyearsold. His architect, sedefkar mehmed agha, decorated it like a jeweler would. Book your tickets online for blue mosque, istanbul. Being one of the grandest mosques in turkey, it can hold up to 10. The mosque of sultan ahmed, also known as the blue mosque called sultanahmet camii in turkish one of the most majestic ottoman mosques in all of turkey locates at the sultanahmet area of istanbul, the one and only mosque in istanbul with six minarets. Sultan ahmet camii, also known as the blue mosque, is a historic mosque located in istanbul, turkey. History and architecture blue mosque sultanahmet camii.
As of march 20, there were 82,693 mosques in turkey. Learn more about its unique architectural features as well as its. The blue mosque, or the sultan ahmet mosque, is one of istanbuls most iconic historic sights and an essential part of the citys skyline with its six magnificent minarets. Also known as the sultan ahmet camii or sultan ahmed mosque, this breathtaking building is one of the most majestic ottoman mosques in all of turkey blue mosque history. Apr 23, 2020 istanbul, largest city and principal seaport of turkey. Captured by tourist lenses a thousand times over on a daily basis, the historic religious complex also exudes one of istanbuls most reverberating calls to prayer six.
Book a comprehensive bursa city tour with the traveling experts at tour maker turkey. Istanbul, largest city and principal seaport of turkey. Mimar sinan, 80 years old, he and a master piece said the monumental structure of the masterpieces of ottomanturkish art and architectural history. Istanbuls imperial mosque of sultan ahmet i sultan ahmet camii, facing the hippodrome in the center of old istanbul map, is one of the top sights in this historic city. It is stated in many sources that ahmed the first, who sat on the throne as the 14th ottoman sultan at the age of 14 in 1603, was a highly religious person. Istanbul and the beauty of the blue mosque the travelbunny.
It is located on the site of the great palace of byzantium, on the southeastern side of the hippodrome. The mosque is known as the blue mosque because of blue tiles. Sultan ahmed mosque is one of the impressive monuments of istanbul that has become its symbol. The sultan ahmed mosque is first one of the two mosques in turkey that has six minarets. Morning istanbul historical tour to blue mosque and grand. Sultanahmet camii blue mosque is one of the most magnificent building in turkey. The blue mosque, one of the most important works of ottoman history, was built by the architect, mehmet aga, at the request of sultan ahmet i. Morning istanbul historical tour to blue mosque and grand bazaar embark on a halfday tour and discover istanbuls rich history. He did appoint his royal architect sedefhar mehmet aga, a pupil and senior assistant of the famous architect mimar sinan to be in charge of the mosque construction. Six minarets, shining silver in the sun, pierce the air like expectant rockets.
Istanbuls imperial mosque of sultan ahmet i sultan ahmet camii, facing the hippodrome in the center of old istanbul, is one of the top sights in this historic city called the blue mosque by foreign visitors because of its interior tiles, it disappoints if youre looking for lots of blue because the blue tiles are mostly in the inaccessible upper galleries. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Blue mosque, architecture art, arches, cgi, ottoman, bows, arch. In what proved to be a vital departure from the past, the mosque was built in the aftermath of ottoman failures in wars against the persians and the austrians. History of the mosque sultanahmet camii blue mosque is one of the most magnificent building in turkey. The blue mosque, one of istanbul, turkey s most famous landmarks, has a history marked with both innovation and controversy. Yenen has many years experience in guiding tours all over turkey as well as in. Massive and magnificent, the blue mosque dominates istanbuls skyline. Blue mosque, also referred to as the sultan ahmed mosque, is among the wellknown historical sites of istanbul. The organization of the work was described in meticulous detail in eight volumes, now found in the library of the topkap. It was built by said sultan between 1609 and 1616, inaugurated in 1617 during the reign of mustafa i. Narrated by sinans fictional disciple, this is, at its core, a story about a master and his student. It remains a functioning mosque, while also attracting large numbers of tourist visitors.
Architecture the sultan ahmed mosque has one main dome, six minarets, and eight secondary domes. The construction started in 1609 and took a total of seven years to complete. The design is the culmination of two centuries of ottoman mosque development. During my glorious week in turkey, the blue mosque was at the top of my list of places to see. History the history of bursa province was based on b. He overcame this problem by ordering a seventh minaret to be built at the mecca mosque.
Its kulliye contains ahmeds tomb, a madrasah and a. Facing the hippodrome in the centre of old istanbul, its grey cascading domes and six minarets are one of istanbuls iconic views, the interior is just. Like with many other mosques, the founder of the mosque is buried in it. It was built between 1609 and 1616, when ahmed i ruled the ottoman empire. The trouble at the moment is the restorations taking. The blue mosque, as it has come to be known, is still one of istanbul, turkey s most famous monuments, with a history wrapped in artistic achievement and political controversy. Mar 05, 2020 turkey day 1 hagia sofia, blue mosque and the museum this being my second blog post today, i am reading plongs blog post about his visits to turkey and the church that john wrote to. The visit will surely be enrich the experience of someone in terms of giving birth to a better comprehension of turkey, especially, istanbul. The province with the highest number of mosques 3,1 was istanbul and the lowest number 117 was tunceli province. At first glance, the blue mosque sultan ahmed mosque a famous structure in istanbul seems to be a misnomer. Blue mosque sultanahmet mosque also known as the sultan ahmet camii or sultan ahmed mosque, this breathtaking building is one of the most majestic ottoman mosques in all of turkey.
May 14, 2019 the blue mosque is arguably the top thing to see in all of turkey, at least in istanbul anyway. The blue mosque was built between 1609 and 1616, by the architect mehmet aga, instructed by sultan ahmed i. Istanbul straddles the bosporus strait, one of two waterways that separates the. Turkey day 1 hagia sofia, blue mosque and the museums. We provide travelers from all over the world effective solutions for exploring the beauty of bursa. Begun in 1606, the blue mosque is actually called the sultan ahmed mosque sultanahmet camii after the ruler who commissioned it, sultan ahmet i. History of the blue mosque, the apple of istanbuls eye blog elite. Mosque in edirne, which is the symbol of the ottoman empire, the citys center, formerly called sar. Istanbul straddles the bosporus strait, one of two waterways that separates the european and asian parts of turkey. The blue mosque or the sultan ahmet mosque is considered by many to be the greatest feat of ottoman architecture. Discover yeralti camii underground mosque in beyoglu, turkey. The mosque is also one of the most photogenic ottoman mosques in turkey. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title blue mosque. Blue mosque islamic art and architecture istanbul mosque travel turkey.
After all, the mosques exteriors are anything but blue. In this part of website,you can find any information of this great complex. The blue mosque was the ambitious creation of a young sultan and would become one of istanbuls most iconic sites. The history of istanbuls blue mosque in 1 minute the blue mosque, or the sultan ahmet mosque, is one of istanbuls most iconic historic sights and an essential part of the citys skyline with its six magnificent minarets. The sultan ahmed, the blue mosque, was built between 1609 and 1616 a. Its kulliye contains ahmeds tomb, a madrasah and a hospice. Blue mosque, also known as sultan ahmet mosque by local people, was built by sultan ahmet in 1609 and completed in 7 years, although foreigners have taken. Its name in turkish is sultanahmed camii, mosque of sultan ahmed. Islamic architecture, ottoman empire, old buildings, turkey, istanbul, how to plan, world. A surprising and unconventional mosque hidden in the subsoil of istanbul.
In addition to general information about the sultan ahmed mosque blue. Oct 22, 2009 visitors are welcome to visit historic mosques such as the blue mosque, nicknamed because of its blue tiles and at the same time experience a religion that still packs the house. Therefore the blog post talks a lot about historical sites and museums. The old city blue mosque sultan ahmet camii istanbul turkey. The blue mosque, one of istanbul, turkeys most famous landmarks, has a history marked with both innovation and controversy. Architecture ancient greece doric capitals ilc1 engraving art, mystery books. One mosque and istanbul has many that most travelers will want to see is the blue mosque sultan ahmet camii.
Standing in the middle of istanbul, the majestic blue mosque is hard to miss. A user friendly and informative pamphlet with illustrations and plans. History of blue mosque he did appoint his royal architect sedefhar mehmet aga, a pupil and senior assistant of the famous architect mimar sinan to be in charge of the mosque construction. Find out about our extensive range of bursa city tours here. The mosque was built on the site of the palace of the byzantine emperors, in front of the. The blue mosque is arguably the top thing to see in all of turkey, at least in istanbul anyway. Historically known as byzantium and then constantinople, it was the capital of the byzantine empire and the ottoman empire. The blue mosque is considered to be his masterpiece work. The sultan ahmed mosque, commonly called the blue mosque, is a mosque in istanbul, turkey. Called the blue mosque by foreign visitors because of its interior tiles, it disappoints if youre looking for. He was a masterbuilder under the supervision of great architect sinan for 21 years. The architects apprentice by elif shafak old istanbul brought to life. There is also a madrasah and a hospice associated with the mosque. The trouble at the moment is the restorations taking place, lots of the blue mosque was hidden away.
Blue mosque istanbul, sultan ahmet mosque, turkish mosque. Turkey day 1 hagia sofia, blue mosque and the museum this being my second blog post today, i am reading plongs blog post about his visits to turkey and the church that john wrote to. The sultan ahmed mosque is first one of the two mosques in turkey that has six minarets, the second one being the sabanc. This reflected an increase of mosques by 7,324 in the 10year period since 2003.