One of the most amazing buildings in Istanbul is the Blue Mosque, also known as the Sultanahmet Mosque. It was built between 1609 and 1616.
This mosque was the traditional starting point for the pilgrimage to Mecca for Muslims in Turkey.
The tiles and mosiacs within the mosque are the reason it is called 'blue' - the main tile themes having a blue emphasis. The stained glass windows are magnificent and also have a blue emphasis. The mosque stands on the hill in Sultanahmet, overlooking the Bosphorous, the body of water that forms Istanbul's harbour.
We visited the mosque with Robby and Paul and then went on to the Hagia Sophia which is only about 100 metres away. These two buildings make an imposing presence on the top of the hill and can be seen from all around. The Hagia Sophia is now a Museum but it started out life as a Byzantine Christian Cathedral. From 300AD through to 1453 it was built and rebuilt as a Christian Church and is reported to have been quite magnificent. In 1453 it was converted to a mosque on the Turkish conquest of Istanbul. Beautiful mosaics that had been plastered over in the 16th century have now been uncovered. I can not, in this blog, possibly recreate the history. Suffice to say it is an awe inspiring building.
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