Travel tip: Sultanahmet (The Blue Mosque)

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The Ahmed Sultan Mosque or Sultan Ahmet Mosque is a historic mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey. A popular tourist site, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque continues to function as a mosque today; men still kneel in prayer on the lush red carpet of the mosque after the call to pray. The Blue Mosque, as it is popularly known, was built between 1609 and 1616 during the reign of Ahmed I. Its Külliye contains Ahmed's grave, a madrasah and a nursing home. Hand-painted blue tiles decorate the interior walls of the mosque, and at night the mosque is bathed in blue as the lamp frames the five main domes of the mosque, six towers and eight secondary domes. It is located next to Hagia Sophia.

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This 17th century mosque, overlooking the Hagia Sophia, is famous for its beautiful blue tile masterpiece that adorns its interior walls. Its six slim towers distinguish it from other mosques, which usually have two or four towers.

It was built from 1609 to 1616, during the reign of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also houses the tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a nursing home. Although still used as a mosque, Sultanahmet is one of the most popular, and important, tourist spots in Istanbul.

Sultanahmet is considered the last major mosque of the Ottoman classical period, as it is the culmination of two centuries both the Ottoman mosque and the construction of the Byzantine church. It combines several elements of Byzantine Hagia Sophia along with traditional Islamic architecture.