During the Byzantine Era there was a Hippodrome near the Blue Mosque with a capacity of 10,000 people. In 1606, Sultan Ahmet wanted to build a mosque bigger, more majestic and more beautiful than the Hagia Sophia Church, and he did indeed build a mosque; you will be the one to judge which one is more impressive.


The Blue Mosque is called Sultanahmet Mosque in Turkish, which means the Mosque of Sultan Ahmet. The mosque was built in the classic Ottoman style and is located just in front of Hagia Sophia' Church the Sultan Ahmet district of Istanbul. Mosques were generally built to be used as a public service for the citizens.


There are some buildings near the Blue Mosque which include a theology school, a Turkish bath, a kitchen that used to serve soup for the poor, and shops. The shops would provide revenue for maintaining the mosque. The Blue Mosque, as the name implies, was decorated with blue tiles and also glass-work with the same color.


There are no images or statues inside the mosque since Islam forbids praying to images of any kind. Before entering the mosque you should take your shoes off. You should not wear miniskirts, shorts, or very low neckline dress. The staff at the mosque will give you a wrap-round shawl cover yourself if they find your clothing is not appropriate for the mosque.