Everyone we spoke with said that you absolutely can't miss seeing the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, aka - the Blue Mosque. It's an impressive piece of Ottoman and Byzantine architecture, clearly recognizable and hard to miss. In order to get to the visitor entrance you first pass through the massive courtyard. We met a few more of the cats that roam the city inside the courtyard. We tried asking this friendly kitty for directions but I'm not sure he spoke English.
Once you reach the visitor entrance, there is a place to remove your shoes and for women, put on a scarf, then you enter the prayer area. It's enormous and its evident how it got its nickname as the Blue Mosque. The tile work is exquisite and, you guessed it...Blue. There are huge candelabras hanging from the ceiling, very low to the floor as well as hundreds of stained glass windows letting in natural light.
We only spent a short time admiring the architecture and tile work before we needed to move on. They clear the area when it's time for the worshippers to come to prayer.
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