The Blue Mosque is certainly among the most fascinating tourist attractions of Istanbul and Turkey in general.
Built between 1597 and 1616, the Sultan Ahmet Mosque is known as the Blue Mosque for its tiles from Iznik – about 22 thousand ceramic tiles – which give the typical blue color and that completely cover the inside of religious building.
The mosque is located in correspondence with another, great mosque, that of Aya Sofia, just to compete in beauty and grandeur with the work of Justinian.
The Blue Mosque is a tourist place, but primarily it is a religious place, so it is good to follow some precautions if you want to enter the building:
- If you are not Muslim, the entry is different from that of the faithful; you enter from the courtyard overlooking the Hippodrome
- Entry is permitted every day except during prayer times
- It is obligatory to leave your shoes outside the mosque
- Women must cover their heads with a shawl.
For a breathtaking view of the mosque, you should enter from the courtyard reserved for non-believers, hence the glimpse is truly fascinating, especially at dusk and during the night, when the stone changes color and lights illuminate the scene.