The Blue Mosque refers to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, a 17th‑century Ottoman imperial mosque famed for its blue Iznik tile interior, cascading domes, and six minarets. It stands in Sultanahmet Square opposite Hagia Sophia, was commissioned by Sultan Ahmed I (built roughly 1609–1617), remains an active place of worship, and is now part of Istanbul’s UNESCO‑listed historic area and one of the city’s major architectural landmarks.
 
Commissioned by Sultan Ahmed I after the Peace of Zsitvatorok and built between 1609 and about 1617, it was intended to reaffirm Ottoman prestige and piety.
t opened for worship in 1617, around the time of Ahmed I’s death at age 27, and also served as a large social and religious complex (külliye) with madrasa, hospital, market, and other charitable institutions.
The architect was Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa, a pupil of Mimar Sinan, who consciously drew on his master’s ideas to create a culminating statement of the classical style.
The mosque has a central dome about 43 m high and 23.5 m in diameter, supported on four massive “elephant‑foot” piers, with semi‑domes stepping down to create the cascading silhouette seen above.
 
Interesting facts...
It was the first Ottoman imperial mosque with six minarets, a distinctive and slightly controversial choice at the time, since Mecca’s mosque also had six.