Visiting Sultan Ahmed Mosque a.k.a The Blue Mosque is one of the top touristy thing anyone would do when in Istanbul. This post is all about this mosque, neighboring Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace.
Getting to the mosque is pretty straight forward. If you're not sure, literally anyone would help you with the directions. From Taksim take a funicular to Kabatas, than a tram from Kabatas to Sultan Ahmet stop.
The moment you get off the tram, you'll see people flocking towards the mosque (it's crowded most of the year). Just walk till you see the mosque.
We reached the mosque around 12. Decided to roam around for a while than offer 'zuhr' prayers.
Wear modest clothes and take a head scarf or you wont be allowed to enter the mosque.
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| Such a gorgeous sight. |
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| Attention to detail. |
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| The prayer area was HUGE! |
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| Us! |
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| Outside the mosque |
We stopped for a snack and icecream before going to Hagia Sophia.
I have no idea whats this called but it was kind of a cinnamon roll but not very sweet. really delicious. 2 TL each (0.250 OMR/ 68 PKR)
you must've heard a lot about Turkish icecream, the one where the vendor makes you angry and literally makes you cry while the people around you laugh and joke before you can try this amazing sugary concoction. Yeah, that one.
You can choose any amount of flavors you like on one cone. I had vanilla, caramel, chocolate and strawberry. This was 7 TL each (0.900 OMR/ 238 PKR)
We had the icecream while walking towards Hagia Sophia which is right in front of the mosque.
The entry ticket per person is 40 TL (5 OMR/ 1360 PKR)
I wouldn't recommend going if you're with kids, they'd be bored and you wont be able to enjoy and take in all the history in this place.
To see everything in detail you need about 1 hour.
Hagia Sophia was built as a church in 537 AD but it was converted to an ottoman mosque in 1453 until 1931. It was converted to a museum in 1935 (AYASOFYA MUZESI)
Inside of the museum is filled with so much of both faiths.
Its breathtaking inside, the ceiling is really high and the whole place has a feel of grandiose.
Roam around and take it all in, read about everything, you'll be amazed its so magnificent.
The left side was undergoing restoration.
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| Allah, Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and virgin Mary with Jesus. |
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| The 'Mirhab' pointing towards Makkah |
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| Upstairs gallery. |
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| Marble door |
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| Deesis Mosaic. |
I was fascinated with the mosaics, there were so many. They are made of the tiniest mosaic tiles. The bottom part is badly deteriorated.
After this we went to Topkapi Palace which is about 10 minutes walk from the Hagia Sophia.
Topkapi Palace used to be a residence for Ottoman Sultans during their years of reign and converted into a museum in 1924.
The entry ticket is 40 TL. Visiting hours are from 9 am to 5 pm.
The palace has 4 courtyards and many small buildings. Be prepared to walk, as there is a lot of ground to cover.
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| The Imperial Gate |
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| The Gate of Salutation. Entrance to the 2nd courtyard. |
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| SubhanAllah |
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| how gorgeous is this! |
We saw a lot of Holy Relics in the palace, there are certain rooms dedicated to those. I dont really remember the names of the rooms but we saw swords of our Prophet Mohammad ( صلى الله عليه وسلم)
companions, beard hair and piece from a tooth of our Prophet Mohammad ( صلى الله عليه وسلم), sword and bow used by out beloved Prophet Mohammad ( صلى الله عليه وسلم), Seal and a letter written by Prophet Mohammad ( صلى الله عليه وسلم).
In another room there is a key to Kaaba, casing of Hajre Aswad.
They dont allow pictures inside though, if you try to sneakily capture some, a huge and dangerous looking turkish guy will start shouting and everybody would be looking at you with daggers in their eyes :D. We saw it happen to one poor guy. So just dont.
I cannot describe the feeling I had while looking at these sacred things, to see myself as a tiny part in a much much much bigger picture, it's a very humbling experience.
The Palace is a must visit.
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| View of the Marmara sea from the palace. |
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| Tired af. |
We had a late lunch at a busy little restaurant right across the blue mosque. I had a doner platter, which was 22 TL (2.75 OMR/ 748 PKR) We were famished and the food was warm and hearty. Not spicy but packed full of flavor. Delicious!
All in a a good day spent well.
Next up; Grand Bazaar and Princess Islands
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