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Istanbul's Unforgettable Place: Why is The Blue Mosque Extraordinarily Popular?
Why is The Blue Mosque Extraordinarily Popular?
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is the perfect personification of what a mosque should look like. It’s by far the biggest and boldest highlight when you go visit or even pray in a mosque. Constructed in the 1600s, the Blue Mosque has very intricate hand-painted blue tiles on its interior walls, and at night the mosque is bathed in blue, as lights frame the mosque’s five main domes, six minarets and eight secondary domes. I braved the intense tourist crowd and zealous locals just to enter the grounds of the Sultan Ahmet Mosque on a weekend. I felt the need for surprise, and wow did this place really surprise me the most. Expectation versus reality, finally this one aligned perfectly! This blue perfection sits next to the Hagia Sophia, so it’s really nice to spend at least a couple of hours here before heading to the Hagia Sophia.
History is rich in this place. Sultan Ahmet I decided to build a large mosque in Istanbul to reassert Ottoman power, and this Islamic Late Classical architectural masterpiece will haunt your dreams of becoming a good photographer. It’s so gorgeous, especially when the sun is well lit, and the place is sunny and bright. Of course, sunset view of the place is equally divine. The outside of the Blue Mosque has five main domes, six minarets, and eight secondary domes. Interesting to note that the architect, Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa, aimed for overwhelming size, majesty and splendor – and yes, it’s quite evident in the entire place. Fun fact: Pope Benedict XVI visited the Sultan Ahmed Mosque back in 2006 during his visit to Turkey; the second papal visit in history to a Muslim place of worship. He must have prayed for world peace.
With more than 20,000 handmade İznik style ceramic tiles, made at İznik (the ancient Nicaea) in more than fifty different tulip designs, the interiors are jaw dropping. You’ll see flamboyant representations of flowers, fruits and cypresses. More than 200 stained glass windows with intricate designs admit natural light, and the chandeliers add perfection to it. There are prayers inside, and there are lots of speechless tourists marveling at the view.
I got the chance to roam around the arcades in the inner courtyard, as well as the forecourt area, and I think that even if I have seen the Hagia Sophia, or the Camlica Mosque, Selimiye Mosque, or Shah Mosque, there’s something about the Ottoman architecture and overall grandeur of this one that makes you believe that this is one of those top must experience mosques in Istanbul. With so much, history, architecture, and even prayer times here, I don’t wonder why the Blue Mosque is so popular all over the world. But most likely, it’s because of the Hippodrome --- yes you are so beautiful.
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