Sultan Ahmed I was determined to build a mosque that rivaled the nearby Hagia Sophia, and most would agree that he accomplished this task or, at least, came close. Since the early 1600s ...

One such wonder is the Blue Mosque, or the Sultan Ahmed Mosque as it is known to locals. The Blue Mosque is a striking memento of Istanbul’s nearly 500-year stint as the imperial capital of the ...

Construction of the Blue Mosque began in 1609 and was completed in 1616 during the reign of Sultan Ahmed I. The mosque was designed by the architect Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa and is renowned for its ...

His counselors advised against it, but he built it anyway. Today, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, or “Blue Mosque,” is one of the most iconic buildings in the world, with an astounding total of six ...

Sultan Ahmed I was determined to build a mosque that rivaled the nearby Hagia Sophia, and most would agree that he accomplished this task or, at least, came close. Since the early 1600s ...