One of Istanbul's iconic structures, widely recognized by local and foreign tourists, the Blue Mosque, locally known as Sultan Ahmed Mosque, is scheduled to be reopened for worship on the occasion of Ramazan Bayram, also known as Eid-al Fitr, after undergoing the most comprehensive restoration in its 400-year history for six years.
Preparations for the mosque, which is set to reopen on April 21 for the Ramazan Bayram prayer, have been accelerated. Recently, the mosque, which is the first and only six-minaret mosque of Ottoman architecture, was photographed by a drone, unveiling the building's current state before its glorious reopening.
The mosque, contributing to the silhouette of Istanbul, was built by architect Sedefkar Mehmet Agha upon the order of Ottoman Sultan Ahmed in the 17th century and opened to worship in 1617. It was built across from the Hagia Sophia, which served as a church at that time.
As one of the world's most famous mosques, its reopening is quite crucial for the faithful, especially for the Ramazan Bayram prayer. On the other hand, the reopening date was announced by Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy on his social media account. It is one of the most significant mosques in the Muslim world and is an active place of worship. It was built at a time when the Ottoman Empire was at its zenith, and the mosque served as a symbol of the Ottoman Empire's power and influence.
As the reopening approaches, the scaffolding on the mosque's minarets has been completely removed. While restoration continues in the inner and outer courtyards of the mosque, scaffolding and tarps are still visible on the southern facade. The giant finial – an ornate metal object – on the main dome, which is 43 meters (141 feet) high, amazed viewers, with its golden color.
The interior of the mosque is decorated with thousands of blue and white Iznik tiles, which were made in the nearby city of Iznik. The blue tiles were arranged in intricate patterns and designs, giving the interior of the mosque a striking blue color. The mosque also has blue stained glass windows, which contribute to its blue appearance. The blue tiles and windows were chosen not only for their beauty but also for their spiritual significance. Blue is considered a holy color in Islamic culture, symbolizing the sky and heaven, and it was believed that the use of blue in the mosque's design would help create a spiritual and serene atmosphere for worshipers.
Due to the heavy use of blue, the mosque is also known as the "Blue Mosque" around the world. The decorations on the domes inside the mosque continue to be the best examples of Ottoman culture to this day.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is a masterpiece that was built within the scope of the famous Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan's architectural guidelines. Before Mimar Sinan died in 1588, he had donated all treatises of classical Ottoman architecture and trained architects who would continue his own architectural legacy.
