Inside History

THE BLUE MOSQUE

Istanbul, Turkey 1616 – Present

IZNIK TILES

The interior of Sultanahmet Camii is decorated with 20,000 handmade Iznik tiles, named after the region where they were made. The tiles are decorated with flowers such as tulips and roses, trees, fruits and other imagery. Most of these patterns are rendered in blue, turquoise and green, giving the interior of the mosque the blue hue from which it gets its common name.

ISTANBUL

One of the most striking regions of modern Istanbul is the Sultanahmet district, home to several of the city’s historic landmarks. Here you will find the Topkapi Palace, the site of the Hippodrome, the Hagia Sophia and what is known as The Blue Mosque. More properly named the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii), it was commissioned by the young emperor Sultan Ahmed I and constructed under architect Mehmed Ağa between 1609 and 1616.