Ahmed I
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Ahmed I was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1603 to 1617. Ahmed's reign is noteworthy for marking the first breach in the Ottoman tradition of royal fratricide; henceforth, Ottoman rulers would no longer systematically execute their brothers upon accession to the throne. He is also well known for his construction of the Blue Mosque, one of the most famous mosques in Turkey.
Anonymous portrait of Ahmed I
Ottoman miniature of Ahmed I.
Bilingual Franco-Turkish translation of the 1604 Franco-Ottoman Capitulations between Ahmed I and Henry IV of France, published by François Savary de Brèves in 1615
Ahmed I plate at Masjid al-Nabawi marking Bab al-Tawba
Blue Mosque, Istanbul
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The Blue Mosque in Istanbul, also known by its official name, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, is an Ottoman-era historical imperial mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey. It was constructed between 1609 and 1617 during the rule of Ahmed I and remains a functioning mosque today. It also attracts a large number of tourists and is one of the most iconic and popular monuments of Ottoman architecture.
Blue Mosque, Istanbul
Early 18th-century depiction of Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I, by Abdulcelil Levni
17th-century illustration of the mosque with floor plan by French explorer Guillaume-Joseph Grelot
View of the mosque from above, with the courtyard (bottom) and domes of the prayer hall (top)