Sultanahmet Camii, Turkey

From series “Top Largest and Famous Mosques Worldwide”

1 out of 15 - Sheikh Zayed Mosque, United Arab Emirates

5 out of 15 - Sultan Ali Sayfuddin Mosque, Brunei

6 out of 15 - Jumeirah Mosque, United Arab Emirates

Year: 1616.

The Sultan Ahmet Mosque, commonly known as The Blue Mosque, is a historic mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey. It was built during the reign of Sultan Ahmet I and since that time it is the main mosque of the city. It has not only a magnificent decoration but also other interesting features. The Blue Mosque has instead of 4 minarets – 6 minarets, two additional are situated on the coins. Many historians claim that this mosque was built as a memory of the defeat of Turkish troops in the war with Austria and Iran.

For a long time the country didn’t build new mosques and people connected a number of military defeats with this fact. A young Sultan Ahmet decided to change the situation and begin the building of the great mosque nevertheless, that the country practically didn’t have money for it. Within seven years there has appeared a marvellous mosque. It is quite hard to find something more beautiful than this building. The building was finished in 1616. It is a unique architectural monument that combines elements of two bright styles Ottoman and Byzantine.

One of the main secrets of the mosque is connected with its unofficial name. The façade doesn’t have blue elements but if you look inside, everything will be clear. The Mosque is decorated with more than 20 000 encaustic tiles, most of which are blue. The most important element in the interior of the mosque is the mihrab, made of finely carved and sculptured marble, with a stalactite niche and a double inscriptive panel above it. The Mosque has a large yard with the picturesque enormous arcades.

Next - Hassan II Mosque

Sheikh Zayed Mosque, United Arab Emirates

Hassan II Mosque, Morocco

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Sultanahmet Camii - interactive map

Useful staff nearby

ATM bankomat: 'Vakifbank ATM' located in 0.17 km (

check the route on the map).

Car rental office: 'Donat Turizm' is located in 0.22 km (

on the map).

Fuel station: 'BP' in 0.25 km

Supermarket: 'Organik sezai çiftliği' in 0.19 km

Parking: 'YEŞİL OTO PARK' in 0.04 km

Apotheek: 'Peykhane Eczanesi' in 0.15 km

Police station: 'Kumkapi Police MR.' in 0.44 km

Cafe/restaurant: 'Grand Vezir Cafe' in 0.06 km

Railway station: 'Marmaray Sirkeci Metro Station South (Cağaloğlu) Input' in 0.82 km

Nearest airports:
» Ataturk Airport IST - in 13 km

» Sabiha Gokcen Airport SAW - in 30 km

» Corlu Airport TEQ - in 89 km

» Topel Airport QST - in 97 km

» Burgas Airport BOJ - in 211 km

Photo gallery: Top Largest and Famous Mosques Worldwide

From fancy centuries. The Most Elegant Buildings of Baroque Architecture

Relics. The most interesting UNESCO sites in China

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Best hotels near Sultanahmet Camii

Zeugma Hotel

Located in 0 km from Sultanahmet Camii
Route on the map:

Rooms: 10

All rooms feature a flat-screen TV with satellite channels. Each room has a private bathroom with hairdryer and toiletries. Some rooms have a balcony … More: photo, rates and booking

Vefa Apart Hotel

Located in 1 km from Sultanahmet Camii
Route on the map:

Rooms: 15

Featuring parquet floors, the rooms of Vefa Apart Hotel include a flat-screen TV with satellite channels. Each room has a private bathroom. Room … More: photo, rates and booking

Yad Hotel

Located in 2 km from Sultanahmet Camii
Route on the map:

Rooms: 16

All rooms at Hotel Yad include air conditioning and flat-screen TV. The private bathroom features a shower, slippers and free toiletries. A 24-hour … More: photo, rates and booking

Zambak Apart

Located in 3 km from Sultanahmet Camii
Route on the map:

Rooms: 8

Featuring parquet floors, the rooms of Zambak Apart include a flat-screen TV. The kitchenette come equipped with kitchenware. Each room has a private … More: photo, rates and booking

Nearest unique sightseeing spots to visit

0 km - Hagia Sophia

From the series 'Monuments of Byzantium: the most famous buildings'

Hagia Sophia has been a hallmark of Istanbul for hundreds of years. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site today. The very first cathedral was built in its place by order of Emperor Constantine in 360. As shown by the research of archaeologists, the ancient …

1 km - Sirkeci Gari Station

From the series 'Top 14 Most Astonishing Railway Stations in the World'

Sirkeci Gari Station – an outstanding landmark building – is an adorable railway station in Turkey. This building was made in Ottoman architectural style in 1890. In the end of the 19th century there came the world-famous Orient Express train from Paris. As it was …

2 km - Dolmabahce Palace

From the series 'The Most Elegant Buildings of Baroque Architecture'

Dolmabahce Palace is situated in a very beautiful place, on the shore of Bosporus. In 1853 this palace was built for Abdülmecid I. The last was inspired by the Topkapi Palace and ordered to build his own residence in the baroque style. Originally, this palace had not …

3 km - Dolmabahce Palace

From the series 'Rococo Architecture – Famous Monuments'

The beautiful Dolmabahce Palace is located in the Besiktas district of Istanbul. It is often called the most "non-Turkish" in the country. A chic Palace with elements in the Rococo style began to be built on the banks of the Bosporus in 1843. Its construction began by …

5 km - Eyup Sultan Camii

From the series 'Top Largest and Famous Mosques Worldwide'

Eyup Sultan Camii is one of the main scarify places for Muslim people. It was built by the order of Mehmed the Conqueror. The mosque was named in honour of Eyup al-Ansari, the standard-bearer and friend of the prophet Muhammad. In 674 during the nest Standoff of …

6 km - Istanbul Cevahir

From the series '12 Largest Shopping Centers Worldwide'

The place that you must visit in Istanbul is the "Istanbul Cevahir", that was built in 2005. On the four out of six stores over 350 shops have located. Other stores are full of restaurants, entertainment stores, cafes. A lot of shops are oriented on the visitors with …

Top destination around Sultanahmet Camii - Istanbul

If you desire to comprehend the soul of this great city, you can just buy a ticket for the boat excursion and go to conquer the Bosporus. You will see the Galata bridge and tower, the Karakoy district, the Istanbul Modern, the Jihangir district, the Dolmabahce mosque and palace, the Beşiktaş stadium, the Galatasaray Lyceum, the Ortaköy mosque, the big Bosporus bridge, the Esma Sultan Palace, the Arnavutköy and Bebek area, the island Suada, historical peninsula, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, blue mosque and many more. All these will cost you 20 euro per a person. The excursion is held for an hour and a half. You will learn: where to try the most delicious sandwich in Istanbul with mackerel and baklava, kumpir and waffles, what the Ottoman pink color looks like, what is Ottoman Baroque, what is yalas and why the Bosphorus was blocked by chains.

Another way to learn the city of Istanbul by taking the walking excursion "How to understand Istanbul and get pleasure from it". This is the daily group sightseeing tour, which is worth taking in order to get acquainted with the city. For 3 hours you will begin to navigate in the main sights of the city and the intricacies of Istanbul history. Discover the favorite places of local people. After the tour, Istanbul will become clearer to you, and walking around the city will be more interesting! You will learn your favorite places - Ottoman coffee houses, city hookahs, cheap home cafes and restaurants with a panoramic view of Istanbul magnificence. You will find out where to try traditional dishes without tourist admixtures, how to make profitable purchases, where to have fun and how then you can comfortably reach anywhere in the city even at night. All these pleasures cost 20 euro per person.
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