Visit the Blue Mosque in Istanbul

“Approaching the Mosque with the throngs of tourists, I had no intention of staying for the impending afternoon prayer. Rather, I was just curious to tour the building and take note of the rich and vibrant interior design. Our traveling companions though insisted we stay and curious about the experience, we acquiesced. It was my first time attending a Muslim prayer service and I was nervous. I don’t know why I was anxious, maybe it was my preconceived notions, the fact that I’m American, or what, but I was extremely hesitant. I also had no idea what to do. The front prayer area was roped off leaving a middle section in which visitors had congregated for the service. I noticed several other tourists taking a seat on the floor waiting for the service to begin and I followed suit. The muezzin’s chants bellowed from atop the Mosque and you could hear the amplified voice reverberate throughout the nearby neighborhood. I’ve heard the call to prayer many times, but it was my first time experiencing it from within a Mosque. The muted chant acted as a siren’s cry, with dozens of men responding by dashing through the doors of the Mosque, removing their shoes and proceeding to the prayer area.”

“I go up the first set of steps I see and it’s the exit, where people are putting on shoes and removing hijabs. I’m told to go down and around to get in, where I slip on the first marble step sending my handful of belongings into the rain. I’m grateful my camera is ok as I feel the large wet spot on my hip that I’m sure will bruise later, but I don’t have time for that now. [...] It’s a short wait and there’s a corridor for shoe removal and hijab donning – a big, blue, medical-looking cloth that I’m sure would stay on in the wind. Of course the inside is beautiful. Past the groups of tourists and all the cables for lighting are wonderful, mostly blue, mosaics and levels of 260 stained glass windows with arches, columns, and colors reminiscent of Istanbul’s history. I could stay longer, but most of the details start 12 to 18 feet above my head, and this place too is crowded.”