Blue Mosque

Description

Open Edition Reproduction

The staggeringly impressive major mosque of Istanbul built by Ahmet 1 on the site of the old Hippodrome in the early 17th century, partly to seek divine favour, and partly to rival the adjacent Hagia Sofia, Justinian’s massive basilica.

The two represent the pinnacle of the architectural splendours of the city and occupy the heart of the old Sultanahmet district of the city. The Four Seasons hotel occupies the nearby Sultanahmet Prison site, featured in the “Midnight Express” movie. Sultanahmet should be high on everyone’s bucket list.