Sultanahmet Camii is located in Istanbul, which is well-received as the most beautiful mosque in the world. The mosque has been the symbol of ‘exotic’ Turkey for tourists.
It consists of a main big dome, 6 minarets, and 30 small dorms; the facade―covered with marbles and tiles―looks imposing and elegant. It is illuminated at night, which creates a mysterious and sacred atmosphere.
This is commonly known as ‘Blue Mosque’. The reason is simple: the interior walls are decorated with Iznik tiles colored blue. What’s more, there are more than 260 stained-glass windows in the dorm; sunlight come through them, turning to blue lights which illuminate the inside.
The mosque was built between 1609-1616 by orders of the then-Osman emperor. The emperor spent a huge amount of money to it, as this project aimed at regaining the lost prestige resulted from the unequal treaty between Osman and Persian Empire.
Since then, even after the abolition of the imperial system, the mosque has been the symbol of the religious power and the shrine for pilgrims in Turkey. In 1985, it is registered as a World Cultural Heritage Site, which made it well-known to the public.
The country is restoring its law and order, but a few terrorisms have happened in the past few years. Especially you’d better avoid going there in the Ramadan period. In 2016, the area around the Blue Mosque was targeted by terrorists because its symbolic significance, which caused more than 25 causalities.
The symbol is not reproducible itself, but it is reproduced for tourism in forms of commercial products like postcards, magnets, and plates. You can also enjoy shopping around the area!
Merhaba Turkey! 