Istanbul’s majestic Blue Mosque
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Mosques
SÜLEYMANIYE MOSQUE 4
The Süleymaniye crowns one of Istanbul’s seven hills and presides over the Golden Horn, providing a landmark for the city. Though it’s not the largest Ottoman mosque, it is one of the grandest and most beautiful, and it’s unusual in that many of its külliye (mosque complex) buildings are still in use (Professor S?dd?k Sami Onar Caddesi; daily; free).
BLUE MOSQUE 5
Istanbul’s most photogenic building was the grand project of Sultan Ahmet I, whose tomb is located on the north side of the site facing Sultanahmet Park. The mosque’s curvaceous exterior features a cascade of domes and six tapering minarets. Inside is similarly grand: there are 260 windows and thousands of blue Iznik tiles, which give the building its unoffcial but commonly used name (Hippodrome; closed to tourists during the 5 daily prayer times & Fri sermon; free).