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
Contemporary portrait of Sultan Ahmed I, who ordered the construction of the Blue Mosque. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Relation nouvelle d'un voyage de Constantinople - enrichie de plans levez par l'auteur sur les lieux, and des figures de tout ce qu'il y a de plus remarquable dans cette ville (1680) (14586728998)
Photo of the mosque's interior c. 1900
View from above, with the courtyard (bottom) and domes of the prayer hall (top)
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
Courtyard, with the shadirvan in the center
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 SULTAN AHMET MOSQUE (THE BLUE MOSQUE)istanbul.gov.tr. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ↑ Blue Mosque, IstanbulSacred 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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