This stunning mosque was built between 1609 and 1616 during the reign of Ahmed I, hence the name. It is widely known as Blue Mosque, though, nicknamed for the blue tiles decorating the interior of this most impressive building. It is one of only 3 mosques in Turkey to have 6 minarets. Folklore has it, that one of the architects misunderstood the sultan's wish for golden minarets. The Turkish expression for "golden minarets" and "six minarets" can easily be confused, thus the Blue Mosque ended up with 6 minarets. At the time, only the most holy mosque in Mecca had 6 minarets. In order to appease anyone claiming that this was presumptuous, the sultan ordered a 7th minaret built in Mecca.
Sultan Ahmed Mosque is listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sits.
Thank you Helen for this wonderful postcard and beautiful stamps. A real treasure in my collection. I still remember when I visited there as a young girl with my parents, thank you also for brining back these fond memories !!!
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