Blue Mosque, Istanbul

The Blue Mosque: Six Minarets and the Controversy That Came With Them

When Sultan Ahmed I ordered six minarets for his new mosque in Istanbul, it created a diplomatic problem. The number six had previously been reserved for the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Some accounts say the Sultan resolved the controversy by funding an additional minaret for Mecca, bringing that mosque to seven. Others say the conflict was never fully resolved. Either way, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, completed in 1616, remains the only mosque in Istanbul with six minarets, and the silhouette they create against the Bosphorus skyline has been shaping visitors’ first impressions of the city for four centuries.

The mosque earned the nickname “Blue Mosque” from more than 20,000 hand-painted Iznik tiles lining the interior walls and galleries. Their interlocking floral and geometric patterns shift from turquoise to deep cobalt depending on the angle of the light. On bright mornings the effect is genuinely arresting. The central dome rises 43 metres above the floor and is ringed by 260 windows, filling the prayer hall with a diffuse softening light that makes the space feel calm rather than overwhelming – an unusual achievement at this scale.

Visiting

The mosque is open to non-worshippers every day outside the five daily prayer times, which shift throughout the year. Check a current schedule before visiting. Entry is free. Closures last around 90 minutes; arriving 30 minutes before prayer ends puts you first through the door when it reopens.

Dress code: women must cover hair and ensure shoulders and knees are covered; men need long trousers. Scarves and wraps are available to borrow at the entrance at no charge. Everyone removes shoes before entering.

Photography is permitted inside; flash and tripods are not. Be aware of worshippers throughout the day. The mosque courtyard, with its ablution fountain surrounded by a colonnaded portico, is worth time on its own as a quieter space than the main prayer hall.

Weekday mornings have the lowest visitor density. Weekend afternoons in summer are the worst time: long queues and crowded interiors that make it difficult to take in the architecture properly.

The Surrounding District

Sultanahmet contains more historically significant buildings per square kilometre than anywhere else in Istanbul.

Hagia Sophia stands directly across the square. Built as a cathedral in 537 AD, converted to a mosque in 1453, turned into a museum in 1934, and reconverted to a mosque in 2020 – the dome’s span held the world record for nearly a thousand years, and the Byzantine mosaics still visible in the upper galleries make it one of the most layered buildings anywhere in the world.

The Basilica Cistern beneath the streets, built in the 6th century to supply water to the Byzantine Great Palace, is supported by 336 marble columns. Two columns in the northwest corner rest on upturned Medusa heads whose origin is genuinely debated. Cool, dimly lit, and worth the 30 minutes.

The Hippodrome, the elongated park running through Sultan Ahmet Square, follows the outline of the Byzantine racing venue that held up to 100,000 spectators. The Egyptian Obelisk of Thutmose III, brought from Luxor in 390 AD, still stands on its original base; the carved marble base depicting 4th-century scenes is more interesting than the obelisk itself.

Topkapi Palace, ten minutes east, served as the Ottoman administrative centre for nearly four centuries. Allow at least three hours. The Harem section requires a separate ticket.

Where to Eat

Hafiz Mustafa 1864, with a branch near Sultan Ahmet Square, is one of Istanbul’s oldest pastry shops. The baklava and sutlac (rice pudding) are the things to order.

For the most interesting food in the city, the Ciya Sofrasi in Kadikoy on the Asian side (20 minutes by ferry from Eminonu) serves dishes from across Anatolia – many rarely appearing on Istanbul restaurant menus – from a rotating daily selection of stews and grilled meats. Making the ferry crossing is part of the point.

Near the Galata Bridge: balık ekmek boats selling grilled mackerel sandwiches with onion and lettuce. A long-standing Istanbul street food tradition at 30 to 40 Turkish lira a piece.