The Blue Mosque

Cathy and LeAnn are in front of the Blue Mosque, the biggest Mosque in Turkey.

The Blue Mosque has six pillars.  Most mosques only have 2 or 3 pillars, but this one has six.  The Sultan who commissioned the Blue Mosque told the builder the the pillars should be solid gold.  Knowing that gold pillars would not be able to stand, he had to think of a solution, because he would be killed if he did not produce what the Sultan asked for.  In Turkish the word for gold and six sound almost the same, so he built six pillars instead of gold pillars.  When the Sultan asked him about this later, he told him, he heard that he wanted six pillars and not gold pillars.  So the Sultan had the builder put gold tips on the tops of each of the pillars.  Apparently the builder was able to live out his life. 

LeAnn and Cathy wear scarfs on their heads since this is a practicing mosque.  It is called the "Blue Mosque" because of all of the blue hand painted tiles inside the mosque. 

Bonnie and LeAnn wearing head scarfs.

This is a practicing mosque, and these men are praying to Allah.

In Turkey the women do not wear burkas.   This woman (in black) is probably visiting from another Muslim country.  Her husband is helping her up the stairs.

Posing for a picture.

The Blue Mosque was build in just 7 years from 1609-1616.  The Sultan was so anxious to have the mosque completed that he often helped in the building.  He had the Blue Mosque build directly across from the Eye of Sophia to show the Islam had conquered Christianity.  Here you can see the Eye of Sophia through the gates of the Blue Mosque.