Beautiful, stunning, serene. I have visited this mosque almost 100 times and am blown away by its beauty on each and every occassion. Forgive the rant but: please be very aware that this stunning building is still a fully functioning mosque. As with any other mosque it is necessary to remove your shoes and for women to cover their heads. You will see many tour groups where the women are not covering their heads - this does not make it right. Scarves are availabe at the tourist entry - please show respect for the religion and the people performing prayer inside by wearing a scarf (not a hat, or a handkerchief or by throwing a jacket over your head!). Believe me I've seen it all and, as a western, non-muslim, female, it embarrasses me every time.

Perhaps the Blue Mosque is the most beautiful structure in Istanbul , with its magnificent domes and slender, balconied minarets piercing the skyline. The fact that it is a place of worship truly adds to its beauty.

Hundreds of Muslims still use the mosque for daily prayer and worship. I found that visitors of all faiths are welcome, provided that they are modestly dressed. Special slippers and head and shoulder coverings are distributed at the entrance for those that need them. I felt fortunate and thankful for an opportunity to go inside.

Once inside, I saw the floors were covered with many prayer rugs, and above I saw many ornate chandeliers. On the domes, beautiful blue Iznik ceramic tiles, thus the giving of the name Blue Mosque. I also saw hundreds of exquisite stained-glass-windows that were a pleasure to behold as the sunlight cast through them, highlighting their beauty.

A beautiful and moving experience Good Journeys!

Джамията „Султан Ахмед“ (на турски : Sultanahmet Camii ) е мюсюлмански храм в Истанбул , Турция . Построена е от архитекта Седефкяр Мехмед ага по заповед на султан Ахмед I между 1609 и 1616 година. Поради своите цветове - синьо, зелено и бяло, от плочките от изникски порцелан , в Европа е известна като Синята джамия (на турски : Mavi Camii ). Джамията Султан Ахмед е първата джамия в Османската империя , която има 6 минарета . Размерът на помещението в молитвената зала е 64 x 72 метра. Диагоналът на централния купол е 23,5 м, а височината му е 43 метра. Джамията има 260 прозореца. Зографисана е от Сейид Касъм Гюбари от Диарбекир . Заедно с околните сгради джамията образува кюллие , тоест ислямски комплекс, включващ библиотека , медресе и т.н.

The blue mosque is pretty impressive, so dont get me wrong when I say that I found it's interior to be a bit boring. The truth is, it was quite relaxing to be there - there's nice carpet everywhere so you can sit down comfortably, and there's certainly been a lot work that's gone into the decor. However, it's just that it really doesn't compare to the strong character of Aya Sophia's interior. Now the outside of the Mosque is a different story - definitely one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen. The best place to appreciate it is from the small park area in front of its main entrance (the one one worshipers are allowed through).

Plava džamija veličanstvena džamija u Istanbulu. Plava džamija ima šest visokih elegantnih minareta i jedina je takva džamija u Turskoj. Izgrađena je u razdoblju od 1609. do 1616. godine. četvrokutnog je tlocrta, ima troja vrata, od kojih glavna i najveća vrata se otvaraju na veliko dvorište. Glavna centralna kupola visoka je 43 m i ima promjer 33.4 metara diameter. Plava džamija ima 260 prozora. Pravo ime joj je džamija Sultana Ahmeta I (Sultanahmet Camii) ali ju zovu i Plava džamija zbog prekrasnih plavih, zelenkastih i bijelih pločica na nižim zidovima džamije i na galeriji.