The Blue Mosque of Istanbul towering over the the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus is one of the first sights a cruise ship passenger will see when sailing into Istanbul from the Mediterranean Sea. The Blue Mosque was built from 1610-1619 under Sultan Ahmed I. beside the Hagia Sophia on the site of the Great Palace of Byzantium, separated only by a small park. With the unusual number of six minarets and a great cascade of domes and semi-domes, which billow heavenward towards the mosque's great dome, the Blue Mosque is a worthy pendant to the Hagia Sophia and a magnificent example of Islamic architecture.

The interior is of great beauty and grandeur and surprises with its bright atmosphere. Numerous stained glass windows as well as domes and semi-domes surrounding the main dome create a charming play of light and give the walls an amazing transparency (second picture below). The walls are decorated with an abundance of marvellous tiles and precious materials, its name however the Blue Mosque didn't get because of the blue tiles but because of the elaborately painted decors.