Blue Mosque Photo Guide: Best Spots & Lighting Tips The best exterior shot of the Blue Mosque is from Sultanahmet Archaeological Park (between the mosque and Hagia Sophia), using the central fountain as a foreground element. The best lighting is in the late afternoon when the sun hits the mosque’s west and south façades directly. … Read more
Blue Mosque Interior: Domes, Tiles & Calligraphy The Blue Mosque interior is defined by four elements: 21,043 hand-painted Iznik ceramic tiles in over 50 floral and geometric designs that cover the lower walls and galleries; a central dome measuring 23.5 metres in diameter rising 43 metres above the prayer hall; 260 stained-glass windows that flood … Read more
Blue Mosque History: Ottoman Origins to Today The Blue Mosque (officially the Sultan Ahmed Mosque) was commissioned by Sultan Ahmed I in 1609 and completed in 1617. Ahmed was 19 years old when construction began, and he chose to fund the mosque from the imperial treasury rather than war spoils — an unprecedented and controversial … Read more
Blue Mosque Courtyard & Exterior: What to Look For The Blue Mosque’s courtyard measures approximately 70 by 80 metres — nearly as large as the prayer hall itself — and is surrounded by a colonnaded arcade of 26 columns supporting 30 domes. At its centre stands an octagonal şadırvan (ablution fountain). The courtyard has three … Read more
Blue Mosque Architecture: The Six Minarets & Grand Domes The Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque) was designed by Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa and built between 1609 and 1617. It features one central dome 43 metres high and 23.5 metres in diameter, surrounded by four semi-domes and eight secondary domes, plus six minarets — the only mosque … Read more