Blue Mosque

Around the world you will find several mosque with the name Blue Mosque - but possibly the most impressive of all the worlds blue mosque's you will find in Istanbul. The giant Blue Mosque got its name from the blue tiles on the walls of the interior of the mosque. The mosque is built in the central part of Istanbul which at the time of the construction was the capital of the giant Ottoman Empire. The mosque is actually very close to the other great mosque in Istanbul the Hagia Sofia.

When you are approaching the mosque from the outside you know you are heading in the right direction when you see all the giant minarets surrounding the main room of the mosque. There are four close to the mosque and another four a bit further away from the central room.

To get inside you need to dress conservatively - which means long pants for men and preferably headscarf for women. If you should get to the mosque without this you can borrow them at the site and get a nice blue piece of cloth to use for the visit. Especially the men in shorts look very interesting with the blue cloth around their waist and legs.

The main room is a giant open room where the roof is held by four enormous pillars in the centre of the room. Except of this you will see the usual interior of a mosque with a big open area for prayers and a special woman's section in the back of the mosque with the imam leading the prayer up in front.

The Blue Mosque is a part of the UNESCO world heritage area of historic Istanbul.

To me, a trip to Istanbul would not have been complete without walking around the district containing the Blue Mosque and the Sultan Ahmet Mosque. It is a great part of the city with tons of shops, cafes, and restaurants. There is something interesting and photo worthy around every corner. Also, don't miss the grand bazaar, an indoor shopping plaza that has been in existence for hundreds of years. The next time I am in Istanbul, I will choose a hotel in that area of the city and explore it much more thoroughly!!