The Blue Mosque of Istanbul with its six minarets towering over the the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus is one of the first sights a cruise ship passenger will see when sailing into Istanbul from the Mediterranean Sea. The Blue Mosque was built from 1610-1619 under Sultan Ahmed I. With the unusual number of six minarets and a great cascade of domes and semi-domes, which billow heavenward towards the mosque's great dome, the Blue Mosque is a magnificent example of Islamic architecture. (Location: Istanbul)

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