Lonely Planet İstanbul Guide

DON’T MISS

A The approach from the Hippodrome A The İznik tiles A The carved white marble mimber

PRACTICALITIES

A MAP , D4 A % 0545 577 1899 A www.bluemosque.co A Hippodrome A h closed to nonworshippers during 6 daily prayer times A j Sultanahmet Exterior Ahmet set out to build a monument that would rival and even surpass the nearby Aya Sofya in grandeur and beauty. Indeed the young sultan was so enthusiastic about the project that he is said to have worked with the labourers and craftsmen on site, pushing them along and rewarding extra effort. Ahmet did in fact come close to his goal of rivalling Aya Sofya – and made future generations of local hoteliers happy: a ‘Blue Mosque view’ from the roof terrace is a top selling point of hotels in the area. With the mosque’s exterior, the architect, Sedefkâr Mehmet Ağa, managed to orchestrate a visual wham-bam effect similar to that of Aya Sofya’s interior. Its curves are voluptuous; its courtyard is the biggest of all the Ottoman mosques; and it has more minarets than any other İstanbul mosque – a record only recently equalled by the colossal new Çamlıca Mosque on the city’s Asian side. In fact, there was concern at the time of the Blue Mosque’s construction that the sultan was being presumptuous in specifying six minarets, as the only equivalent was in Mecca. In order to fully appreciate the mosque’s design you should approach it via the middle of the Hippodrome rather than entering from Sultanahmet Park. When inside the courtyard, which is the same size as the mosque’s interior, you’ll be able to appreciate the perfect proportions of the building. Walk