Blue Mosque

A Must Visit Spot in Istanbul – The Blue Mosque

If you only visit one place in the whole of Istanbul, it should certainly be the iconic and beautiful Blue Mosque.

Of course, visiting just one place in this city packed with history and culture would be ridiculous, but we are simply trying to set the scene of how historic and breathtakingly beautiful this spot is. A visit to Istanbul would not be complete without visiting this place of worship.

The Blue Mosque is a functioning mosque, but it is one of the most visited and popular spots in the entire city. People flock from thousands of miles away to see the wonder and beauty that went into the decoration on the inside, as well as the sheer feat of architectural wonder from the outside.

Have your camera at the ready!

The History and Architecture of The Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque is not the oldest mosque in Istanbul, but it is by far the most famous. Also known as Sultan Ahmet Camii (‘camii’ is the Turkish word for ‘mosque’), Blue Mosque dates back to Ottoman times and was built to be one of the most remarkable and breathtaking buildings in the whole city. They certainly succeeded!

The Blue Mosque dates back to 1609 when orders for building were given, and it was completed in 1616. Sultan Ahmet I ordered the building of the mosque and Mehmet Aga was the architect. The mosque was built opposite the existing Hagia Sophia, and was designed to be superior in architecture and beauty. Whilst most people agree that the aim was completed, the Hagia Sophia in itself is still an architectural wonder. The inside of Hagia Sophia is often considered more beautiful from the outside, whereas the Blue Mosque is delightful both inside and out!

The Blue Mosque is unique from other mosques because it has six minarets. Most mosques have two or four. The reason for this is thought to be due to a misunderstanding, which still stands today. Upon ordering construction of the mosque, the Sultan wanted gold minarets, but the architect misheard his orders and though he said ‘six minarets’. The reason this would be so easy is because the Turkish word for ‘six’ is ‘alti’, and the word for gold is ‘altin’! There was a certain amount of controversy linked to this mistake because there was only one other mosque with six minarets at the time, located in Mecca. This was solved by the Prophet’s Mosque in Mecca having a seventh minaret added. Problem overcome!

How did it get is name? The ‘blue’ part of the name comes from the more than 20,000 Iznik tiles that decorate the inside, which are a serene blue in colour. Many of these tiles have different designs, including tulips, roses, and lilies. It really is something to take your breath away and when you see it with the sunlight spilling in from the 260 windows, it will be an experience you’ll never forget.

Visiting The Blue Mosque

The most important thing to remember about visiting the Blue Mosque is that it is a functioning mosque, so it is going to be closed during prayer times. The mosque is open to visitors from 9am every day, and closes one hour before dusk. Obviously the exact timing of this will change according to the season, so double check before you visit, to avoid arriving too late. Within these hours the mosque is closed for 90 minutes in total, for regular prayer times throughout the day. On Fridays, the mosque will be closed for two hours in total, as there are extra prayers at noon on holy day (Friday).

Obviously, mosque etiquette should be followed in such a place of religious importance. This means that women will need to cover their heads and everyone should dress respectfully, e.g. covering legs, shoulders, and arms. The mosque attendants will lend you a shawl if you don’t have a scarf for your head, and will also ask you to wear a shawl around your legs or shoulders if they think you need to. Everyone will need to remove their shoes at the outer door.

Once inside the mosque, simply stand to one side and quietly reflect upon the sight before you. Never walk in front of anyone who is praying inside the mosque and turn off the flash on your camera, to avoid startling anyone or interrupting prayers. Remember, people will go inside the mosque to pray outside of set prayer times too, so always be respectful.

There is no entrance fee to go inside the Blue Mosque, however if you want to leave a donation this will be very greatly received. Donations go towards the upkeep of the mosque and will ensure that more generations in the future can continue to visit this stunning place.

How to Get to The Blue Mosque

The good news is that the Blue Mosque is very easy to reach, and you really can’t miss it once you’re in Sultanahmet! There are buses and trams which run from the main points of the city to Sultanahmet itself, or you can walk from certain points too.

If you are staying over on the Asian side, you will need to either take a ferry or the Marmaray train over towards the European side and connect from there. The ferry is without a doubt the easiest and most scenic option. You will probably arrive in Eminonu and from there you can take the tram straight up to Sultanahmet, or you can walk, which should take you around half an hour.

If you are staying in Taksim or another part of the European side, there are countless buses which will take you to Sultanahmet, or you can head to Eminonu and get the tram. From the tram stop, it is literally two minutes to the Blue Mosque. Do remember however, this is an extremely popular attraction in Istanbul, so there is always going to be a queue, no matter what time of day you go.