ISTANBUL: THE BLUE MOSQUE

The Blue Mosque was built between 1609-1617. It is a blend of Byzantium and Ottoman-style architecture influenced by the Hagia Sophia with a central dome, surrounded by four semi-domes and flanked by six minarets. It is adorned with over 21,000 blue tiles, hence the Blue Mosque. Considered one of the most sacred places on earth, it still functions as a mosque today. It is big with a capacity of 10,000.