Sultanahmet Camii
Istanbul
Sultanahmet Camii, the Blue Mosque, is the great mosque of Sultan Ahmed I, in the heart of the old city. Its cascading domes are best admired from the public garden around it.
The young sultan's mosque
Sultan Ahmed I had it built at the start of the 1600s. It was designed by Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa, a pupil of the great Mimar Sinan. It began as a large complex, with buildings serving the neighbourhood.
It is a living mosque, where people pray every day. During prayer times we speak softly and leave room for those who come to pray: we admire it from here.
What to see from outside
From the garden you can clearly see how the domes are arranged. The largest sits on top, then the half domes and the smaller domes cascade down. Each tower has a pointed cap and one or more rings near the top.
The walls are of pale stone. At sunset they turn golden, and in the evening the lights make them glow white.
The voice from the towers
Five times a day you hear the ezan from the towers, the call to prayer. Locals recognise the voices of the nearby mosques, answering one another in turn.
During the month of Ramadan, in the evening, the gardens around fill with families. They wait together for sunset and the evening meal.
