Many people I talk to are curious about the Islamic Religion. These people are no different than the tourists who go to Notre Dame that are not Catholic but want to see the beauty of the church and maybe learn a little about their beliefs. The Blue Mosque is one of these places designed to get a glimpse of Islam for FREE.
The Blue Mosque was commissioned by Sultan Ahmet in 1603 and took 14 years to complete. He set out to surpass Aya Sophya which was the Church converted to a Mosque. What Aya Sophya is on the inside, the Blue Mosque is on the outside having the largest courtyard of all the Mosques in the Ottoman Empire. But that does not mean that the inside is any less beautiful.
The inside adorned with Tiles and lights. There are no figures in the mosque because Islam believes that images with an ‘immortal soul’ cannot be revered or worshiped. That is why there are tens of thousands of blue tile which is where the mosque gets its unofficial name. The floor is carpeted with rugs that have intricate patterns and those entering must remove their shoes to enter. Muslins must was their feet, ankles, hands, arms, heads, and necks before entering the Mosque. This is the reason for the numerous taps outside. The ware on the marble underneath shows how popular this mosque is. There are over 260 stained glass windows that give the inside a beautiful rainbow of color adding to the serenity.
There are no chairs since they would be in the way for service. The huge dome is held by 4 enormous “elephant feet’ which are also decorated with color only. There a wooden rail which is ornately carved to mark where tourist should stay behind in or for people to have a place to pray. Unfortunately, non-Muslims cannot stay for prays which happen 5 times a day. These times are dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, dusk and after dark. This also means the mosque may be closed to the public at these times also. And if you enter, tourist use the South Entrance that is to the right of the main courtyard.
Once you exit, you can make a donation just like at other churches. The most interesting part is they give receipts. This is the first time this has ever happened to me. I thought it was very interesting that they were so accommodating to modern society. Once you exit you can go strait forward to the SultanAhmet Park or go to the left to the Hippodrome.
To see more information about the mosque or other FREE Attractions in Istanbul, go to the Istanbul Section of Nonrevwebsite.com. To see more FREE Attractions around the world, go to nonrevwebsite.com.
Tags: attractions, Blue Mosque, cheap, deals, free, Istanbul, Sultan Ahmet Camii, travel, Travel City, Turkey