Sinan / Classical
Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque)
1609–1617 · Fatih / Sultanahmet
Six minarets — the only Ottoman imperial mosque ever built with six, equalling the Kaaba's Masjid al-Haram at the time and forcing Ahmed I to fund a seventh minaret at Mecca; over 20,000 İznik tiles so dominating the interior with blue tones that Europeans nicknamed it the Blue Mosque; the largest courtyard of any Ottoman imperial mosque.
- Dome
- 23.5 m
- Height
- 43 m
- Minarets
- 6
- Built
- 1609–1617
- Architect
- Sedefkar Mehmed Agha
- Patron
- Ahmed I
- District
- Fatih / Sultanahmet
History
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, known worldwide as the Blue Mosque, was built between 1609 and 1617 under Sultan Ahmed I — his only great architectural commission; Ahmed I died in 1617, shortly after its completion, at the age of 27. The site was chosen demonstratively, opposite Hagia Sophia on the remains of the Great Byzantine Palace; several noble residences had to be bought out and demolished to clear the ground. The architect was Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa — Mimar Sinan's principal pupil, who rose from a mother-of-pearl inlay craftsman (hence the epithet 'Sedefkâr') to chief imperial architect (mimarbaşı). According to tradition, the sultan himself, wearing rich robes, worked as a labourer on the first day of construction as an act of piety. Work took seven years; the mosque closes the classical period of Ottoman architecture. The külliye also included a madrasa, dar-ul-hadis, imaret, hospital, mektep, hamam, bazaar, and the mausoleum of Ahmed I.
Architecture
The main dome (23.5 m diameter, 43 m high) rests on four massive 'elephant-foot' piers flanked by four semi-domes — the classical Ottoman scheme descending from Şehzade and, beyond it, from Hagia Sophia. The mosque is surrounded by six minarets — unique among Ottoman imperial mosques (which usually had no more than four). By legend the sultan ordered 'altın' (golden) minarets but the architect understood 'altı' (six). The choice caused controversy, as only the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca had six minarets; to resolve the crisis, Ahmed I funded the addition of a seventh minaret at Mecca. The interior is faced with 21,043 İznik ceramic tiles in more than 50 patterns; in 1613 the sultan temporarily banned the sale of İznik tiles to any buyer but his own site. Over 200 stained-glass windows originally filled the hall with coloured light; the originals, sent as a gift by the Doges of Venice, are largely lost. The courtyard, as large as the prayer hall itself, is the biggest of any Ottoman imperial mosque.
Photographs
