Sultanahmet Mosque: The Pinnacle of History and Faith

A masterpiece in the heart of Istanbul, defying centuries with its six minarets.

The Spell of the Iznik Tiles

More than twenty thousand hand-painted Iznik tiles line the interior walls and give the building the name the world knows it by — the Blue Mosque. Worked in traditional plant motifs, tulips and carnations, they represent the high point of Ottoman ceramic art and lend the space a serenity nothing else in the city matches.

A close view of the hand-painted blue Iznik tiles lining the mosque interior, patterned with tulips and carnations.

Two of the mosque’s fluted minarets rising against a clear sky, their balconies picked out in the light.

The Secret of the Six Minarets and Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa

Designed by Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa, the gifted pupil of Mimar Sinan, Sultanahmet Mosque was the first in Turkey to carry six minarets. Synthesising classical Ottoman architecture with elements drawn from Byzantine church building, the vast structure is Ahmed I’s vision of splendour and faith rendered in stone.

Visitor Information

Your guide to a planned and peaceful visit.

Visiting Hours

Open to visitors daily between 08:30 and 19:00. On Fridays the mosque closes to visitors for the duration of the Friday prayer.

Prayer Times

This is an active place of worship. Visits pause for 45 minutes around each of the five daily prayers.

Visiting Rules

Modest clothing appropriate to a place of worship is expected. Headscarves and suitable garments are available at the entrance.

Discover the Other Museums

Visit the other singular legacies of the Historic Peninsula.

The Hagia Sophia seen from the outside, its great dome and buttresses above the surrounding trees.

Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque

One of the most important monuments in the history of world architecture, a legendary sanctuary standing through the ages.

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A courtyard gate of Topkapı Palace, its carved stone arch opening onto the palace grounds.

Topkapı Palace Museum

The seat of Ottoman government for centuries and the magnificent residence of the sultans.

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Basilica Cistern

Istanbul’s largest ancient underground reservoir, where hundreds of columns rise from still water beneath the city.

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Dolmabahçe Palace

The last and most opulent imperial palace, built along the Bosphorus as the empire’s new seat of government.

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