The history
The Blue Mosque is quite possibly the most famous mosque in Istanbul. Its Turkish name is Sultanahmet Camii (Sultan Ahmed Mosque). It gets its Blue Mosque name thanks to the blue tiles on the interior. The mosque was built between 1609 to 1616, drenched in history. It was a representation of the success and dominance of the Ottomans, as it stood strong opposite Hagia Sophia (a depiction of early Roman and Byzantine culture and domination).
For more information: http://www.bluemosque.co/
Hagia Sophia is an equally impressive architectural construction that is crucial for both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. Istanbul is drenched in history. Wherever you go and whatever you see, you’ll be overwhelmed by the history that is ever-present. If the Ottoman Empire history wasn’t historical enough, you’ve also got the Byzantine Empire. And this mosque – the Hagia Sophia – is quite possibly the best representation of all of that history! Once upon a time, it was a church, then it became a mosque (after the ottoman’s conquered Istanbul), then it became a museum and now it is mosque again as of July 10 2020.
For more information: https://www.hagiasophia.com/
Our Experience
It seems like the Blue Mosque has been under renovation for like forever. Every vlog I’ve seen for a while, it seems like there’s renovation going on. So, it was no different with us. The mosque was under renovation and it will naturally harm the experience. You can still visit (open for worshippers and tourists), but due to the works going on, you can’t really witness much nor take in the magnitude of the place. The interior was nice, but let’s be honest, it is nothing compared to the Hagia Sophia. The fascinating interior will have you speechless and taking pictures for a long time. I’ll let the pictures do the talking – it really is something else – very impressive. The downside with Hagia Sophia is the amount of people there – as with any tourist hot spot (place of worship or not) the amount of people can potentially ruin the vibe and atmosphere. And this is no different. For us, the experience was ruined and you can’t really take in the aura that this place deserves. There was people EVERYWHERE, everyone’s taking pictures and videos, people are posing in groups and individually and even lying on the floor (see how that kind of diminishes the “sacred” feel of such a place).
Important FYI: If there are graves in a mosque, it is not permissible to pray in it. So, please do your own research regarding this and try to avoid praying in such mosques. Also, be aware that traveling to a mosque specifically for reward should not be done except for the 3 mosques (Makkah, Madinah and Aqsa). Also, a mosque should not contain images inside it and nor should the name of anyone else be level with Allaah’s name even if that is the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
What to eat in the area
The two mosques are literally minutes apart and then a few minutes away is Topkapi Palace and another few minutes the other way you’ll find some unique museums like the Islamic one. So, a very touristy area. Naturally, in such areas you’ll find numerous eateries. Naturally, these eateries will be tourist traps. So, I want to highlight 4 places you can dine at and be rest assured that the food will not only be good and authentic but also be steeped in history.
Spot number 1: Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi Selim Usta
Google Location Link: https://goo.gl/maps/osT6mqF8sGyghYpb9
With it being only a 3 minute walk from each of the mosques, this has to be your spot for lunch (or dinner) after you’ve visited them/museums. What you have to get here are the kofta kebabs. You get about 6 koftas with pickled chillis and a delicious hot sauce. You also get some bread to go with that too. Combine all those together and you have yourself an absolute winner. The kofta (made into a sandwich with the provided bread) was delicious especially with the sauce and pickled chilli. We also got gulab jamun for dessert (how can you not be intrigued with a classic Indian sweet on a classic Turkish menu!). The texture was the same as the Indian version, the syrupness was the same too. The amount of sweetness was also the same. However, it was quite the contrast in taste. The taste of the syrup was not your usual gulab jamun taste. I’m not sure what it was, but it was distinctively different. The syrup was almost something you’d expect in Arab desserts. Definitely worth trying.
They’ve been around for over 100 years now (since 1920), so they definitely know what they’re doing. Read more here.
Spot number 2: Pudding Shop Lale Restaurant
Google Location Link: https://goo.gl/maps/t1dMZPwTQo4XGWQd9
Only a few doors down is another legendary spot. They specialise in homely Turkish food, but we also heard a lot about their famed Sutlac, which is Turkish rice pudding. We went here straight after our lunch at the kofta place, so we only opted for dessert. We got a Sutlac, it was good, but we’ve had better. We had also read that the restaurant has kind dipped in quality anyway, but I think it’s worth visiting for the novelty.
Spot number 3: Hafiz Mustafa
Google Location Link: https://g.page/edebiyat_kahvesi_?share
A few doors the other way of Tarihi is the legendary Hafiz Mustafa. This should be your number 1 spot for dessert in Istanbul. It is that good! They need no introduction whatsoever. Read more about them here.
Spot number 4: Ortaklar Kebap Restaurant
Google Location Link: https://g.page/ortaklar_restaurant?share
This is one is a little further out (7 minutes), but still walkable. With four floors and being located in a very busy area, they’ve established themselves as a tourist favourite. They serve up all sorts of kebab dishes amongst others. We opted for some starters, adana kebab and a doner kebab wrap. The starters were decent, but for me the adana and doner were tad meaty in taste. My wife didn’t mind it too much, but it wasn’t her favourite meal of the trip either. They seem very popular and they have some very positive reviews, so I’m assuming they do do good food. It’s definitely worth trying.
