About this place
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque was built in 1609–1616 by the architect Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa, a pupil of Sinan, for the young Sultan Ahmed I. A cascade of domes and semi-domes covers a vast prayer hall lit by some 260 windows, its walls clad in blue-and-white İznik tiles of tulips, lilies and cypresses. After a major restoration completed in 2023 the interior is noticeably brighter; the complex also includes the tomb of Ahmed I and a large arcaded courtyard.
