About Blue Mosque
Built 1609-1616 by Sultan Ahmed I, the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii) gets its nickname from the stunning blue Iznik tiles adorning its interior. With six minarets (controversial at the time - only Mecca's mosque had more), cascading domes, and a massive courtyard, it represents the pinnacle of Ottoman classical architecture. Unlike Hagia Sophia across the square, it was purpose-built as a mosque and remains an active place of worship. Pair this stop with the Istanbul guide and the wider Turkey overview.
⏰ Opening Hours & Best Times
- Hours: Open daily 8:30 AM-6:45 PM, closed during 5 prayer times (30-90 minutes each)
- Prayer closures: Dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset, evening - check daily schedule
- Best time: Early morning 8:30-9 AM or late afternoon 4-5 PM between prayers
- Avoid: Friday mornings (main prayer day), midday in summer (largest tour groups)
- Sunset lighting: Late afternoon light makes the tiles glow beautifully
💰 Costs
- Admission: FREE (functioning mosque, donations welcome)
- Group tours: ₺400-700 (€12-22) per person with guide (1 hour)
- Private guide: ₺3,500-6,500 (€100-200) for up to 6 people (1.5 hours)
- Combined tours: ₺1,000-1,800 (€30-55) with Hagia Sophia and Hippodrome
- Photography tours: ₺5,000-8,000 (€150-250) with professional photographer-guide
Free but guide recommended: Self-guided visits miss the Ottoman history, architectural innovations, and calligraphy meanings that guides illuminate. Tour helps you appreciate why it took 7 years and 20,000 craftsmen to build.
🎯 Why Use a Guide
- Ottoman architecture: Understand the innovative engineering of cascading domes and semi-domes
- Iznik tile artistry: Learn about the 50+ tulip and flower patterns in handmade tiles
- Historical context: Why Sultan Ahmed built it (after military defeats, to regain God's favor)
- Six minaret controversy: How this nearly caused diplomatic crisis with Mecca
- Calligraphy secrets: Guides translate the Arabic inscriptions and explain symbolism
- Prayer time planning: Navigate closures efficiently, combine with nearby sites
✨ Don't Miss
- 💙 20,000 Iznik tiles: Hand-painted blue tiles give mosque its nickname, tulip motifs throughout
- 🕌 Central dome: 23.5 meters diameter, 43 meters high, with 260 windows creating divine light
- ✨ Chandelier forest: Hundreds of oil lamps (now electric) hanging at multiple levels
- 📿 Mihrab and minbar: Intricately carved marble prayer niche and pulpit
- 🏛️ Courtyard: Same size as prayer hall - rare in mosque architecture, with ablution fountain
- 🎨 Painted decorations: Hand-painted floral and geometric patterns on upper walls and domes
- 🪟 Stained glass windows: Original 17th-century glass in intricate Ottoman patterns
📝 Practical Tips
- Dress modestly: Shoulders, knees covered. Women must wear headscarf (free loaners at entrance)
- Remove shoes: Required - plastic bags provided, keep them with you inside
- Main entrance queue: Tourist entrance on south side (opposite Hagia Sophia), locals use west
- Free but expect crowds: 3.5 million visitors annually - early morning essential
- Respectful behavior: Active worship space - quiet voices, no pointing at praying people
- Photography allowed: No flash, avoid photographing people praying
- Donation encouraged: Free entry but restoration costs are enormous
- Allow 45-60 minutes: Time to appreciate details without guides, 1.5 hours with guide
- Combine efficiently: 5-minute walk to Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, or Basilica Cistern