Blue Mosque

Across the small park from Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the "Blue Mosque") was built between 1609 and 1616 to outdo its older neighbor — and the architect, Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa, came remarkably close. The interior glows blue from over 20,000 handmade İznik tiles, mostly in tulip, carnation, and rose patterns, lit by more than 200 stained-glass windows.

The mosque gets its informal name from these tiles, but locals still call it Sultan Ahmed. The six minarets caused a minor scandal at the time: only the mosque in Mecca had six, and the Sultan had to fund the construction of a seventh minaret there to resolve the issue.

It's an active mosque. Tourists enter through the courtyard on the southwest side and follow a marked path around the visitor gallery. The carpeted prayer hall is closed to non-worshippers during the five daily prayers (about 30 min each). Visit between prayers for the calmest experience. Women are asked to cover hair; scarves are available at the entrance. Friday mornings are closed to tourists until the noon prayer finishes.