Root of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul
There is a long line to get in the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. Fortunately, the line was it a shaded area of the mosque grounds. Additionally, it seems to be moving fast enough so I don’t think it would take a lot of time. Before getting in, make sure you have decent clothes on. While the posters say shorts aren’t allowed, I still could see people in shorts walking about. I was aware that I would be going in a mosque so I made sure to dress appropriately. Ladies would be provided a hijab or head cover to wear while they are in the mosque. This will then be returned after exiting the mosque.
Beautiful Interiors of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul
While I was queuing up, I was wondering if the mosque would be able to support such a large number of people going in. My fears were unfounded the moment I entered the mosque. It was very spacious inside. Actually, I would think that most of the area is hollow apart from the large columns which support the building. It is almost octagonal in shape inside with the main worship area in the center. It almost reminds me of a Roman Catholic cathedral and the similarities may not be just coincidence. Ottoman architecture was inspired by Byzantine architecture and it was spiced up with a lot of Islamic art. I can see how this is. The basic layout of the mosque itself is very similar to a Byzantine era church. Where it tends to have a central area rather than the cruciform layout which is more common these days. The arches of the mosque look a lot like arches found in Romanesque cathedrals except that this is covered in various Islamic designs. The domes have windows which let light in and this plays a lot with the interior geometry of the mosque. This all combines to form a very unique and beautiful Ottoman design which is unique to Türkiye.
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