PhotoSecrets Blue Mosque

A Photographer’s Guide

Best classic places spots hotspots sites sights views photo locations to photograph for photography with maps tips ideas composition postcard photos cool beautiful pictures

BLUE
MOSQUE

Photos

Blue Mosque from Hotel Nena rooftop restaurant at sunsetOPIS Zagreb/Shutterstock

Blue Mosque

23 views to photograph
Blue Mosque from Seven Hills Restaurant with reflection at sunsetSamet Guler/Shutterstock
Blue Mosque courtyard at duskBenh Lieu Song/Wikipedia
Blue Mosque dome and three exedraDennis Jarvis/Flickr
Blue Mosque from Innova Sultanahmet Istanbul Hotel at sunsetLuciano Mortula/Shutterstock
Blue Mosque ome and three exedra angleKrissanapong Wongsawarng/Shutterstock
Blue Mosque with fountain off duskTTstudio/Shutterstock
Blue Mosque dome and four exedraChristian Perez/Wikipedia
Blue Mosque with fountain at duskMoyan Brenn/Wikipedia
Istanbul Blue MosqueMoyan Brenn/Flickr
Blue Mosque dome and column looking upWilliam Neuheisel/Wikipedia
Blue Mosque minaretTravancorehistory/Wikipedia
Courtyard arcadesBenh Lieu Song/Wikipedia
Blue Mosque ablution facilitiesBjørn Christian Tørrissen/Wikipedia
Blue Mosque from Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel in afternoonDersaadet/Wikipedia
Blue Mosque prayer area and chandelierBjørn Christian Tørrissen/Wikipedia
Blue Mosque prayer area and domeChristian Perez/Wikipedia
Blue tiles at the Blue MosqueBrian Jeffery Beggerly/Flickr
Blue Mosque courtyard at noonKarelj/Wikipedia
Blue mosque courtyard noonCeinturion/Wikipedia
Blue Mosque from Lady Diana HotelRaudcommonswiki/Wikipedia
Blue Mosque gateway to the courtyardG Dallorto/Wikipedia

Contents

Map

About PhotoSecrets

 
 
 
 

Foreword

A great travel photo­graph, like a great news photo­graph, requires you to be in the right place at the right time to capture that special moment. Professional photo­graphers have a short-hand phrase for this: “F8 and be there.”

There are countless books that can help you with photo­graphic technique, the “F8” portion of that equation. But until now, there’s been little help for the other, more critical portion of that equation, the “be there” part. To find the right spot, you had to expend lots of time and shoe leather to wander around, track down every potential viewpoint, and essentially re-invent the wheel.

In my career as a professional travel photo­grapher, well over half my time on location is spent seeking out the good angles. Andrew Hudson’s PhotoSecrets does all that legwork for you, so you can spend your time photo­graphing instead of wandering about. It’s like having a professional location scout in your camera bag. I wish I had one of these books for every city I photo­graph on assignment.

PhotoSecrets can help you capture the most beautiful sights with a minimum of hassle and a maximum of enjoyment. So grab your camera, find your favorite PhotoSecrets spots, and “be there!”

About Bob Krist

Bob Krist has photo­graphed assignments for National Geographic, National Geographic Traveler, Travel/­Holiday, Smithsonian, and Islands. He won “Travel photo­grapher of the Year” from the Society of American Travel Writers in 1994, 2007, and 2008.

For National Geographic, Bob has led round-the-world tours and a traveling lecture series. His book In Tuscany with Frances Mayes spent a month on The New York Times’ bestseller list and his how-to book Spirit of Place was hailed by American Photo­grapher magazine as “the best book about travel photo­graphy we’ve ever read.”

The parents of three sons, Bob and his wife live in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

Welcome

Thank you for reading PhotoSecrets. As a fellow fan of travel and photo­graphy, I hope this guide will help you quickly find the most visually stunning places, and come home with equally stunning photo­graphs.

PhotoSecrets is designed to show you all the best sights. Flick through, see the classic shots, and use them as a departure point for your own creations. Get ideas for comp­osition and interesting viewpoints. See what piques your interest. Know what to shoot, where to stand, when to go, and why it’s interesting. Now you can spend less time researching and more time photographing.

The idea for PhotoSecrets came during a trip to Thailand, when I tried to find the exotic beach used in the James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun. None of the guidebooks I had showed a picture, so I thought a guidebook of postcard photos would be useful for us photographers. Twenty-plus years later, you have this guide. Thanks!

Now, start exploring — and take lots of photos!

About Andrew Hudson

Originally an engineer, Andrew Hudson started PhotoSecrets in 1995. His first book won the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best First Book and his second won the Grand Prize in the National Self-Published Book Awards.

Andrew has published 38 nationally-distributed photo­graphy books. He has photo­graphed assignments for Macy’s, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Men’s Health and Seventeen, and been a location scout for Nikon. His photos and articles have appeared in Alaska Airlines, National Geographic Traveler, Shutterbug Outdoor and Nature photo­graphy, Where, and Woman’s World.

Andrew has a degree in Computer Engineering from Manchester University and a certificate in copyright law from Harvard Law School. Born in Redditch, England, he lives with his wife, two kids, and two chocolate Labs, in San Diego, California.

Introduction

At a Glance

Popular name:Blue Mosque
Address:Sultanahmet Cami, 34122 Sultanahmet, Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey
Name:Sultan Ahmed Mosque
Turkish:Sultan Ahmet Camii
Location:Istanbul, Turkey
Affiliation:Sunni Islam
Architect:Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa
Style:Islamic, Late Classical Ottoman
Completed:1616
Capacity:10,000
Dome height (outer):43 m (141 ft)
Dome dia. (inner):23 m (77 ft)
Minarets:6
Minaret height:64 m (210 ft)
GPS:41.005483, 28.977385
Far:2 km (1.3 miles) from center of Istanbul

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is an historic mosque in Istanbul.

Views

From Hotel Nena rooftop restaurant at sunset

Blue Mosque > views

Also try Sultanhan Hotel rooftop restaurant.

Addr:Binbirdirek Mah,
Klodfarer Cd. 8/10,
34122 Sultanahmet,
Istanbul,
Turkey
Where:41.007779
28.972479
When:AfternoonLook:East-southeast
Far:480 m (1590 feet)

From Seven Hills Restaurant with reflection at sunset

Blue Mosque > views
Addr:Cankurtaran Mh.,
Tevkifhane Sk. No 8,
34122 Fatih,
Istanbul,
Turkey
Where:41.0063624
28.9797413
When:MorningLook:West-southwest
Far:270 m (890 feet)

From Innova Sultanahmet Istanbul Hotel at sunset

Blue Mosque > views
Addr:Binbirdirek,
Piyer Loti Cd. No 6,
34122 Fatih,
Istanbul,
Turkey
Where:41.007147
28.971472
When:AfternoonLook:East-southeast
Far:0.53 km (0.33 miles)

Ideas for from Innova Sultanahmet Istanbul Hotel at sunset

Views of the Blue Mosque with Sultan Ahmet Park fountain

Blue Mosque > views

With fountain at dusk

Views of Blue Mosque with Sultan Ahmet Park fountain off

Blue Mosque > views > with Sultan Ahmet Park fountain

From Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel in afternoon

Blue Mosque > views
Addr:Binbirdirek,
Binbirdere Meydanı Sk. No 1,
34400 Fatih,
Istanbul,
Turkey
Where:41.007172
28.973842
When:AfternoonLook:East-southeast
Far:350 m (1150 feet)

From Lady Diana Hotel

Blue Mosque > views
Addr:Lady Diana Hotel,
Terzihane Sok. No 9,
34122 Fatih,
Istanbul,
Turkey
Where:41.006187
28.973658
When:AfternoonLook:East-southeast
Far:320 m (1060 feet)

Exterior

Views of the Blue Mosque courtyard

Blue Mosque > exterior

Courtyard of the Blue Mosque.

Courtyard at noon

Blue Mosque > exterior > courtyard
Addr:Where:41.005778
28.976503
When:Anytime

Blue mosque courtyard noon

Courtyard arcades

Blue Mosque > exterior > courtyard
Addr:Where:41.005974
28.976448
What:ArcadesWhen:Anytime

Minaret

Blue Mosque > exterior
Addr:Where:41.005483
28.977385
What:MinaretWhen:Anytime

Ablution facilities

Blue Mosque > exterior
Addr:Where:41.005556
28.976944
What:ArcadeWhen:Anytime

Gateway to the courtyard

Blue Mosque > exterior
Addr:Where:41.005483
28.977385
What:GateWhen:Anytime

Interior

Ceiling

Dome and three exedra

Blue Mosque > interior > ceiling
Addr:Where:41.005483
28.977385
When:Anytime

Ome and three exedra angle

Blue Mosque > interior > ceiling > dome and three exedra
Addr:Istanbul,
Turkey
Where:41.005256
28.976857
When:Anytime

Dome and four exedra

Blue Mosque > interior > ceiling
Addr:Where:41.005483
28.977385
When:Anytime

Istanbul Blue Mosque

Blue Mosque > interior > ceiling > dome and four exedra

Istanbul Blue Mosque.

Addr:Add to Istanbul,
İstanbul Province,
Marmara Region,
Turkey,
Middle East
Where:41.028348
29.000988
When:Anytime

Dome

Blue Mosque > interior > ceiling
Addr:Where:41.005278
28.976944
What:DomeWhen:Anytime

Dome and column looking up

Blue Mosque > interior > ceiling > dome
Addr:Where:41.005674
28.976579
When:Anytime

Blue tiles at the Blue Mosque

Blue Mosque > interior > ceiling

The dome of the Blue Mosque.

Addr:Where:41.005483
28.977385
What:TilesWhen:Anytime

Prayer area

Prayer area and chandelier

Blue Mosque > interior > prayer area
Addr:Where:41.005278
28.976944
When:Anytime

Prayer area and dome

Blue Mosque > interior > prayer area
Addr:Where:41.005483
28.977385
When:Anytime

Credits

Thank you to the many wonderful people and companies that made their work available to use in this guide.

Photo key: Tap the camera icon to see the photo. The two letters reference the distributor and license. Key for distributors: f:Flickr; s:Shutterstock; w:Wikipedia. Key for license: a:CC-BY-SA; b:CC-BY; c:CC-PD; h:Shutterstock standard; m:public domain.

Cover image by .Brian Jeffery Beggerly ( wb); Moyan Brenn ( wa); Ceinturion ( wa); G Dallorto ( wa); Dersaadet ( sh); Samet Guler ( fa); Dennis Jarvis ( fc); JJ_Dredd ( wa); Karelj ( sh); Luciano Mortula ( wb); William Neuheisel ( wa); Christian Perez ( wm); Raudcommonswiki ( wa); Benh Lieu Song ( wa); Bjørn Christian Tørrissen ( wa); Travancorehistory ( sh); TTstudio ( sh); Krissanapong Wongsawarng ( sh); OPIS Zagreb ( sh). Some text adapted from Wikipedia and its contributors where noted by the URL path in the “Wik” table field, used and modified under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC-BY-SA) license. Map data from OpenStreetMap and its contributors, used under the Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL).

Index

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

K

L

M

P

T

W