The Sultananmet Mosque in Istanbul is considered a symbol of the greatness of the Ottoman Empire and one of the main attractions of the city.
Sultananmet is located opposite the Aiya-Sofya mosque in the area, which is also known as the historical peninsula.
The construction of a mosque with 6 minarets lasted seven years. The work began in 1609 and was completed in 1616. The temple was built at the direction of the Sultan Akhmet I.
The mosque was part of a huge architectural complex, which included, in addition to the mosque itself with the Pavilion of the Sultan and the court, fountains, madrassas (schools), seminaries, imaret (charity dining room for the poor), Hospice, Bath (Hamam), a market with rental premises and mausoleum of the Sultan.
The scenery of the interior of the mosque used a huge number of (more than 21 thousand) white and blue Iznika ceramic handmade tiles.
The height of the central dome is 43 meters, the diameter is 23.5 meters. The internal space is illuminated by 260 windows, creating the effect of airiness and lightness.
Sultananmet Mosque, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985, is of great importance for world cultural heritage.
It simultaneously accommodates up to 10 thousand believers. On average, 20 thousand visitors come to the mosque on the mosque on summer days, 10 thousand in winter days.
The Sultananmet Mosque was restored a total of 6 times. The largest restoration work was carried out in 2018.
At the opening ceremony after the restoration, which took place on April 21, 2023, was present by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Sultananmet Mosque in Istanbul continues to be one of the city’s business cards, the center of attraction for both believers and tourists.