The Blue Mosque is also known as the Sultan Ahmed mosque and is located right in front of the famous Hagia Sophia museum in Sultanahmet Square. The name blue mosque comes from the beautiful blue hand-painted tiles placed all over the interiors. This Islamic and late Classical Ottoman Style mosque was complete in 1616 with a capacity of 10,000 people.
The Blue Mosque
The Sultanahmet Square houses the famous Hagia Sophia Museum and the Blue Mosque. The area in & around the square is lively and displays vivid activities. There are a well-maintained lawn and a huge fountain right at the square’s center. We easily spent 2 hours just exploring the square.
The entry to the mosque is free.
It is open from 8.30 am-5.00 pm. Check the Blue Mosque official website for timings because it is closed to the public during prayers and prayers happen 5 times a day.
Mosque interiors
Best time to visit
The best to visit is during the first slot of the opening hour. Please bear in mind the queue is just like one in Hagia Sophia and may end up waiting for a longer time.
First, we visited Hagia Sophia and then the Blue Mosque. There were many people inside the mosque but hardly any queue outside. We spent around 30 mins inside the mosque.
How to visit the mosque
1. For women, it is mandatory to cover your head & if any visible shoulder and dress modestly. It is better to carry your scarf or there is a scarf rack just at the entrance. You can use and return it at no extra cost.
Mosque manners (Sourced from the internet)
2. Before you enter the mosque, remove your shoes and put it a plastic cover(free of cost) and carry it along with you.
3. Make sure you remain silent or talk softly inside the mosque. Turn off the flash before you click pictures. They are very strict about it.
4. There are barricades preventing visitors from entering the prayer area. Respect it and don’t try to jump over.
Inside Blue Mosque
There are more than 20,000 ceramic tiles which have a traditional Islamic design. Well, there are many fine designs on the tiles representing flowers like a variety of tulips, fruit and cypress. There are over 200 stained glass windows in the Blue Mosque. These glasses are colourful and have a very complex & intricate design on them. Impressive!
Dome with intricate tile design
The entire mosque floor is covered with carpet. The upper part of the interior is completely blue and that’s where it gets its name from. There are many huge, beautiful chandeliers which catch your attention. Do not miss the huge bronze entrance gate.
Inside the mosque
The main exterior elements of the mosque are the five main domes, eight secondary domes, and six minarets. The height of the outer dome and each minaret is 43m and 64m respectively. The walls are inscribed with verses from the Quran.
My experience
The mosque courtyard was not impressive because of the renovation going on. But the inside of the mosque was unique and beautiful. I just loved the fine designs on the tiles and chandeliers. According to me, it is much better than Hagia Sophia.
The courtyardOverall experience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5.
”One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things” – Henry Miller
