Blue Mosque, Istanbul
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, commonly called the Blue Mosque, is a mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.[1] It was built between 1609 and 1616, when Ahmed I ruled the Ottoman Empire.[2] Like with many other mosques, the founder of the mosque is buried in it. His architect, Sedefkar Mehmet Agha, decorated it like a jeweler would.[1] There is also a madrasah and a hospice associated with the mosque. Today it is one of the greatest tourist attractions in Istanbul.
Story
According to legend, Sultan Ahmed I wanted gold minarets on his mosque.[3] The word for gold in Turkish is altın. Apparently this was misunderstood as altı, or six.[3] So the mosque has six minarets.
Blue Mosque, Istanbul Media
- Levni. Ottoman Ahmed I. 1703. Topkapi Saray museum..jpg
Early 18th-century depiction of Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I, by Abdulcelil Levni
17th-century illustration with floor plan by French explorer Guillaume-Joseph Grelot
- Mosquée bleue (48985210373).jpg
View from above, with the courtyard (bottom) and domes of the prayer hall (top)
- Inside Blue Mosque 3.jpg
General view of the interior
Example of painted decoration
View from the east. The courtyard walls are visible on the right and the sultan's imperial pavilion is visible on the lower left.
The central entrance to the courtyard on the northwest side
- SultanAhmetMosqueCourtyard.jpg
Courtyard, with the shadirvan in the center
- Blue Mosque - Istanbul.jpg
Sultanahmet Camii, İstanbul, Türkiye.
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "SULTAN AHMET MOSQUE (THE BLUE MOSQUE)". istanbul.gov.tr. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ↑ "Blue Mosque, Istanbul". Sacred Destinations. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii)". Frommers/FrommerMedia LLC. Retrieved 27 July 2015.[dead link]
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