The Blue Mosque

The magnificent Sultanahmet Camii, commonly known as the Blue Mosque because of its blue tile roof, represents the full bloom of Ottoman wealth and grandeur.

Sultan Ahmed I wanted architect Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa's design to symbolize the Ottoman Empire's power, their devotion to Allah and, like an Egyptian Pharaoh's Pyramid, one day serve as an eternal monument to his greatness.



In addition to the major dome, the design called for eight other domes and six minarets.

It was to be the epitome of 200-plus years of mosque building made possible by the unbridled growth of the Ottoman Empire.

However, religious leaders criticized the arrogance of building a mosque with six minarets, which was more than any mosque except the great Al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca that houses the Ka'aba to which devout Muslims pray five times a day.

In order to get around this objection, Ahmed ordered a seventh minaret added to Mecca's landmark mosque, and the Sultan Ahmed Mosque was constructed as planned.  It took seven years to build, from 1609 to 1616, and the final product stands the test of time as a wonder of the world.

Looked at another way, however, the Blue Mosque marks the end of the growth phase for the Ottoman Empire.

Just as the Crusades were not the sole focus of European kings, Ahmed had to deal with many other issues beyond construction of his mosque.

In 1603, the year Ahmed became Sultan at the age of 13, Shah Abbas the Great of Persia began a war to reclaim territories within its former borders which the Ottomans had captured over the years.


That war would continue beyond Ahmed's death at the age of 27, and the Treaty of Serav in 1618 would cede the disputed territories back to the unquestioned victor, Persia.

In addition, the Jelali Revolts (1595-1610) were in full swing as part of the general anarchy in Anatolia, which was at the very heart of the Empire.

On a third front, the Ottoman advance into Eastern Europe had been stymied by 10 years of war with the Habsburg Holy Empire by the time Ahmed came to power.  The Habsburgs were making a strong stand in Hungary.  

To focus his energies on the domestic rebellions in Anatolia and the war with Persia, Ahmed signed the Peace of Zsitvatorok Treaty with the Habsburgs in 1606 which brought the Ottoman Empire a final one-time tribute of 200,000 florins but also recognized the Holy Roman Emperor as the equal of the Ottoman Sultan.

This essentially acknowledged that the Ottoman Empire would not rule the entire world as originally planned.

Ahmed would instead build an impressive monument to himself...or I mean to Allah.

In order to build the Blue Mosque, Ahmed tapped the royal treasury, which brought more criticism from the sage advisers and political pundits of his day.  In the past the Ottoman Empire had financed its mosques with the spoils of war.

In contrast, this was the equivalent of a retiree spending his accumulated nest egg.  For the first time, this Ottoman mosque would not represent the expansion of Islam.

Nonetheless, millions of faithful followers of Mohammed and tourists still come to pay their respects 400 years later.

Before entering, everyone must remove their shoes and cover their shoulders and knees.

Women must cover their heads, which most accomplish with a Pashmina, as Julie did.

Men are not required to cover their heads but may wear a skull cap which doesn't have a brim over the eyes.

Wearing a baseball cap backwards like a catcher or a rapper is acceptable, but wearing it like a pitcher or left fielder would be sacrilege.

While I played catcher sometimes, I never have liked rap, so I took my cap off.

Only Muslim men are allowed to enter the Musallah, a large, unfurnished prayer area where prayer rugs are spread on the floor for worshipers to prostrate themselves several times each day.

You'll note that I said only Muslim men enter the Musallah.

Islam is not a religion that treats women the same as men.

As Mohammed supposedly said, "The best mosques for women are the inner parts of their houses."

There is, however, a prayer area for Muslim women in the loge above and behind the tourist-access area of the mosque, albeit considerably smaller and less convenient to reach.

Before entering the Musallah, or praying anywhere for that matter, Muslims must cleanse themselves, which means five baths a day and probably isn't a bad idea in the searing heat of the Middle East.

While non-Muslims are not allowed to pray in a Musallah, As I walked past the prayer area I might have snuck a few silent words of thanks in to God for allowing me to enjoy such a wonderful day.

"In Jesus's name we pray. Amen."