The Blue Mosque, officially the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultan Ahmet Camii), is an iconic 17th-century Ottoman mosque in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet district. Renowned for its stunning blue Iznik tiles and six slender minarets, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site within Istanbul’s Historic Areas.
It remains an active mosque, drawing worshippers and tourists for its architectural grandeur and historical significance.
Commissioned by Sultan Ahmed I (1603–1617), it was built between 1609 and 1616 by architect Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa, a student of Mimar Sinan. Intended to rival Hagia Sophia (directly opposite), it symbolized Ottoman power and piety after military setbacks.
The mosque sparked controversy for its six minarets, equaling Mecca’s Masjid al-Haram, resolved by adding a seventh minaret to Mecca.
Completed just before Ahmed I’s death at age 27, it has since been a centerpiece of Istanbul’s skyline. Restorations in the 19th and 21st centuries preserved its ornate interiors.
The mosque ...
Or Tor Kor Market (known in Thai as ตลาด อ.ต.ก. or the Marketing Organization for Farmers Market) sits directly opposite Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district, right next to Kamphaeng Phet MRT station.
The market opened in 1974 and is run by the Marketing Organization for Farmers, a state enterprise under Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. It was created to give farmers a direct, organized outlet for selling high-quality agricultural products to the public.
Over the decades it has earned a reputation as one of Bangkok’s cleanest and most premium fresh markets, standing out from the more chaotic traditional markets with its orderly stalls, good refrigeration, bright lighting, and strong emphasis on hygiene. In 2017 CNN ranked it among the world’s top ten fresh markets (sometimes cited as fourth). It is especially famous for premium seasonal fruits such as durian and mango, along with excellent vegetables, seafood, meat, dried goods, herbs,...
Wat Singharam, known as the Monastery of the Lion, is a restored ruin situated on Ayutthaya’s city island. It stands on the grounds of what is now Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya Rajabhat University. The site lies on the east bank of the remaining stretch of Khlong Chakrai Noi, directly opposite Wat Borom Phuttharam, with the ruins of Wat Suan Luang Khangkhao further south along the same canal bank.
The historical background and exact period of construction remain unknown. Evidence suggests it was possibly built during the middle Ayutthaya period (roughly 1488–1629) and later restored in the late Ayutthaya period (1629–1767). It predates the construction of the nearby Wat Borom Phuttharam.
Fragments of Chinese porcelain decorated with stucco designs were discovered at the entrance in front of the vihara; this style of decoration appears on other monuments restored during the reign of King Borommakot (1733–1758). A mid 19th century map labels the site as Wat Kot, likely a reference to that same ...
Kong Khong Market, also known as Bowing Market or Talat Kong Khong is located about 15 minutes south of Ayutthaya.
This market has a weird name because in the past vendors would lay their merchandises on the ground or in their boats. People who wanted to buy the goods had to bow their heads down in order to take a closer look at the items for sale.
This market was opened in 2006. It is a private market with the objective to allow the locals to have some space to open their shops. The market has been successful and has grown bigger until it has becomes the most interesting market in Ayutthaya. This market is open Thursdays to Sundays. On Thursdays and Fridays, customers are the locals or people working in nearby factories. During the weekends, customers who are tourists from other places in Thailand stop here.
Even though this market is not a big one, it has its own charm. All vendors wear Thai costumes in magenta or purple like the color of the mangosteen. The highlight of this market is the ...
