Here are a few things you need to know before going to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul to better appreciate it!

The Blue Mosque, originally named Sultan Ahmed Mosque, is one of the famous mosques in Turkey. It was designed and built by a proud student of Sinan, a famous classical architect in the Islamic world, in the early 17th century. It is named for the blue and white Iznik tiles that decorate all the walls inside the mosque, and is one of the most important landmarks in Istanbul. The most original feature of the Blue Mosque is its 260 highly translucent windows. Over time, later generations have refurbished the originally colorful windows, thus enhancing the translucency of the interior, but some people think that it has lost its original sense of mystery. Although I have already seen the most luxurious Sheikh Zayed Mosque in the world in Abu Dhabi, after seeing the interior of the Blue Mosque, you can feel that the most luxurious is not necessarily the most beautiful. The interior of the Blue Mosque is like a beautiful dream! The Blue Mosque stands out among the mosques in Istanbul. Of its six minarets, four have three balconies each, and the other two have two balconies each, a total of 16 balconies. According to the memoirs of Mehmet Aga, the original number of balconies was 14, symbolizing the 14 princes at the time, but later two more were added - reportedly including the two sons of Yildirim Bayezid: Emir Suleiman and Musa Celebi. The original intention of building the Blue Mosque was to compete with the Hagia Sophia, but in fact it has surpassed the Hagia Sophia in terms of scale and balance of interior space, with an area of 64x72 square meters. Outside the mosque is a mausoleum composed of 36 different-sized tombs, the central one being that of Ahmed I. In front of the tomb is a 19th-century marble-faced clock tower, with a library behind it. The tomb was started during Ahmed's reign and completed under the supervision of his son Osman II after Ahmed's death in 1617. The tomb is square, with a domed porch and a courtyard in the back. The large arched entrance is supported by six large columns, with a central cross dome and a small dome on the side. The tomb door of ebony wood is engraved with scriptures. The grey gelatin clapboard windows have been replaced by glass windows, making the inside very bright. The thin inlaid boards between the windows are covered with 17th-century tiles in dark green, dark red, blue and white - the amazing feature of this tile decoration is a set of cold white inscriptions against the deep blue background inside. The dome and walls are rammed earth, and on the marble niche facing the entrance, there is an inscription by Osman II about the construction of the tomb.