What's so blue about the Blue Mosque?

Istanbul's imperial Mosque of Sultan Ahmet I (Sultan Ahmet Camii) is called the Blue Mosque because of its interior tiles, mostly on the upper level and difficult to see.

Forget the blue tiles! The mosque (built 1603-17) is the masterwork of Ottoman architect Sedefkâr Mehmet Aga. It's built on the site of the Great Palace of Byzantium, on the southeastern side of the Hippodrome.

The Blue mosque is called "Sultan Ahmet Camii" in Turkish, which means the Mosque of Sultan Ahmet. The mosque was built in the classic Ottoman style and is located just in front of Saint Sophias' Church the Sultan Ahmet district of Istanbul. Mosques were generally built to be used as a public service for the citizens.

With its six minarets and a great cascade of domes, the mosque is a worthy sibling to Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia) just a few minutes' stroll to the north.

But it's also a working mosque, so it's closed to non-worshippers for a half hour or so during the five daily prayers, and may be closed for a longer time midday on Friday, the Muslim holy day.
The way to properly appreciate the splendid architecture of the Blue Mosque is to enter it from the Hippodrome (that is, from the west) so we can appreciate the Magic of the Blue Mosque.

There are some buildings near the Blue mosque which include a theology school, a Turkish bath, a kitchen that used to serve soup for the poor, and shops. The shops would provide revenue for maintaining the mosque.

Why I choose this famous building because it is very impressive with its beautiful domes and semidomes, nice courtyards and six slender minarets. The mosque covers a large area, there's a big courtyard where some ablution fountains are located. These ablution fountains are for people who are getting prepared to pray in the mosque.

Then, it is because Sultan Ahmed masjid was built by Ahmed 1, a Sultan from Ottoman Empire. The masjid is also known as 'The Blue Masjid' because of the blue tiles used for its construction on the inner side of the masjid.

Located in Istanbul, the capital and largest city of Turkey, The Blue Masjid is one of the seven world wonders. The Masjid represents another master piece of Islamic art and architecture.
The Masjid represents another master piece of Islamic art and architecture.