Inside Istanbul’s Blue Mosque – where artificial light and architecture converges

I’ve always been intrigued with light and how it creates the right atmosphere inside a building. As an architect myself, integrating daylight has been one of my main priorities. Despite that, my visit to the famous Sultan Ahmet Mosque in Istanbul has opened up my eyes to a different kind of light – artificial ones. It is very rare for me to even recognise the beautiful use of artificial lighting in any old landmark buildings. Sure, there’ll be chandeliers here and there or light in the form of an artificial candle. But that’s it. Nothing special right?

But the chandeliers that grace the Blue Mosque is different.

It manages to integrate beautifully with the intricate architecture of the interiors. Instead of overpowering the interior it was complementing it with a structural wonder of its own.

The chandeliers here covers the whole praying area. When I look upon it, I couldn’t imagine a more powerful image than this – the tall dome liken to a cosmos showered with beautiful lights from the heaven to the grounds. Ok, you might think that this is an overreaction, but it definitely summarises how I feel.

Have you been to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul? What did you think of the interior?