Religious Building · Istanbul, Turkey
Blue Mosque
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii), popularly known as the Blue Mosque, is an Ottoman-era historical imperial mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey. Built 1609–1616.
Photo: Pedro Szekely from Los Angeles, USA via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Istanbul, Turkey |
|---|---|
| Type | Religious Building |
| Built | 1609–1616 |
| Architect | Sedefkar Mehmed Ağa |
| Height | Height: 64 m |
| Coordinates | 41.0054° N, 28.9768° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Blue Mosque is known for
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii), popularly known as the Blue Mosque, is an Ottoman-era historical imperial mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey.
About Blue Mosque
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii), popularly known as the Blue Mosque, is an Ottoman-era historical imperial mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey. It was constructed between 1609 and 1617 during the rule of Ahmed I. It attracts a large number of tourists and is one of the most iconic and popular monuments of Ottoman architecture.
History
After the Peace of Zsitvatorok, seen as a blow to Ottoman prestige, Sultan Ahmed I decided to build a large mosque in Istanbul in the hope of soliciting God's favour. He was the first sultan to build an imperial mosque since Selim II (d. 1574), as both Murad III and Mehmed III before him had not constructed their own.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Istanbul |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Cengiz Topel Airport (KCO) |
| Distance from the airport | 60.8 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) · Pendik, Istanbul, Turkey · 18.8 miles away
- İstanbul Airport (IST) · Istanbul, Turkey · 22.6 miles away
- Hasan Polatkan Airport (AOE) · Eskişehir, Turkey · 115.7 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Turkey
More religious buildings
Frequently asked questions
What is Blue Mosque?
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii), popularly known as the Blue Mosque, is an Ottoman-era historical imperial mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey.
Where is Blue Mosque located?
Blue Mosque is in Istanbul, Turkey. Its coordinates are 41.0054° N, 28.9768° E.
How do I get to Blue Mosque?
The nearest town is Istanbul, and the nearest airport is Cengiz Topel Airport (KCO), about 60.8 miles away (straight line).
When was Blue Mosque built?
Blue Mosque was built 1609–1616.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mosque,_Istanbul — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80541 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.