Archaeological Dossier & Curated Editorial
The Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque)
Commissioned by Sultan Ahmed I and completed in 1616 by architect Sedefkar Mehmed Agha, the mosque features cascading central domes and semi-domes. Sunlight streaming through more than 200 stained glass windows illuminates the turquoise and deep blue floral tile patterns that give the mosque its world-famous moniker.
“Istanbul's iconic six-minaret Ottoman imperial sanctuary decorated with over 20,000 handmade cobalt Iznik ceramic tiles.”
— Tourism Compass Heritage Committee
EraDynastic Era
Duration1.5 Hours
RegistryUNESCO Sovereign
GeodeticsWGS84 Grid