The interior of the Blue Mosque

The city where the Blue Mosque is located was once occupied by the former palace of Byzantine rulers. Overall, it adheres to the traditional style of Muslim architecture. The mosque's dome notably served as a model for the church of Saint Sophia. The central dome is surrounded by four semi-domes, under which are four smaller domes. The only innovation is the presence of six minarets. This caused displeasure among Muslims, as it seemed that Ahmed I, like the Orthodox leaders of the Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca with its five minarets, was diminishing the significance of Islam's main sanctuary. The Sultan approached the situation with wit – some of his minarets were added to his order for the mosque in Mecca. However, at the age of 27, his life was cut short by typhus, and it was not warned by his parents that Allah had sent such punishment to the Sultan for the offense against the Al-Haram Mosque.