HISTORY and ARCHITECURE

Ahmet I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1603 until his death in 1617. Ordered to be built by this Sultan, architect Mehmed Aga began construction on the Blue Mosque in 1609 and completed the complex in 1616. The mosque was strategically built on the site of the Byzantine Great Palace of Constantinople which served as main residence of the Byzantine emperors from 330 CE to 1081 CE. Facing the Ayasofya and adjacent to the hippodrome, this is a site of centrality and great importance.  

 The design of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque is a combination of mosque architecture that developed during the Ottoman Empire. It is the last great mosque of the classical period. During the classical period, mosque plans began to include inner and outer courtyards. The inner courtyard is the same size as the interior of the mosque, furthering the complexity and enhancing it’s perfect proportions. The inner courtyard houses a fountain that is surrounded only by the walls of the structure with series of domes and arches. Only worshippers are allowed to enter the mosque from the front entrance through the courtyard. Visitors are to enter from the south door and exit from the north side.   

The six magnificent minarets that surround the major dome and subsequent cascading domes of the Blue Mosque make this on of the most distinct architectural feats in Istanbul. The mosque was built to rival its neighbor, the Aya Sofya. Exterior of the mosque also is lined on the north side by spouts for the worshippers to perform their wudhu, or ritual washing before prayer. This concludes the main aspects of the exterior of the mosque.

Upon entrance to the Blue Mosque, the front gate, the blue tiling, the 200+ stained glass windows, the decorations of all kinds (but no images), the mihrab and the minber (the indicator of the direction of Mecca and the pulpit, or place where the Imam stands when he delivers his sermons) are all important aspects to note and appreciate. 

The front gate is a typical Seljuk-Turkish design with a geometric design in the center. The star symbolizes the Turkish Generation and very typical of early 11-12th C Turkish Art.

The blue 17^th century Iznik tiles that surround the entire interior give the mosque its unofficial name. Other tiling is prominent, including red and white geometric designs and abstract flowers of all sorts. Perhaps the most overwhelming aspect of the inside are the 260 stained glass windows. Ranging from small to large, each wall has extensive amounts of windows, each allowing a little light in but mostly for decorative purposes. Images of people are forbidden in the Islamic faith, so the mosque is decorated by verses from the Qur’an, in addition to the tiling, windows, and chandaliers. 

The most important element in the interior of the mosque is the mihrab, which is made of detailed marble and an inscriptive panel above it. To the right of the mihrab is the richly decorated minber where the Imam stands when he is delivering his sermon at the time of noon prayer on Fridays or on holy days.

Finally the floors are all carpeted with prayer rugs because people must put their forehead on the floor and therefore the floor should be soft and clean.

Although our group did not go to see this, Sultan Ahmet is buried in a masoleum right outside the walls of the famous mosque.

Etiquette and Observations

Our group visited the mosque on a Sunday morning and the number of tourists is incredible. Luckily, there is some control on the number of people allowed to enter the mosque at one time. After removing our shoes and receiving cloths to put over our arms and legs – if we didn’t have the proper attire on – we entered the mosque. It surprised me that we were not asked to wear headscarves inside, although everyone should still wear one out of respect. I’m wondering if we had gone during a time when more people were praying or there was a service happening, we would have had to wear the scarves. Most visitors are very respectful, but there were a few inappropriate actions. There is a small fence separating the prayer section from where visitors may go, and because it was not a major time of the day for worship, some tourists felt they could cross the barrier and go into the prayer section. In most, if not all mosques there is a women’s section where they go pray separately from the men. Unlike the main floor where the men pray, the women’s section was full of Muslim women worshipping. 

After taking pictures and seeing the inside, the group left from the north entrance which leads to a large outer courtyard/garden area. From here, the Aya Sofya is straight ahead. As we exited, there was a stand asking people for donations. Most people did not donate anything, but it is a respectful thing to do. I donated just one lira, but every bit helps and because there is no entrance fee, it seems appropriate to donate something for the aid of the upkeep of the mosque. John and Kathy also donated for the sake of the group. Each time a Muslim goes to his/her mosque, if they can afford to leave a donation, they will.  

Visiting this mosque and learning its history is so important and wonderful when in Istanbul. This is by far one of the most famous sites not only in Istanbul, but also when one thinks of Islam. The entire Sultanahmet area – including shops and a Turkish bath – is worth seeing and experiencing. Though very touristy, this is such a beautiful place as well as an incredibly important site for the Ottoman Empire and beyond. The tension between tourism and religion is obvious not only at this mosque and the others in Istanbul (and I’m sure in the rest of Turkey) as well as at churches, synagogues, and other places of worship. Respect is the number one thing to keep in mind when touring sacred places.