"Istanbul's Blue Mosque built to showcase prowess of Islamic architects
ISTANBUL, Turkey: When a 17th-century Ottoman sultan, Ahmet I, ordered architect Mehmet Aga to build him a mosque that would rival the splendor of the former Byzantine Church of Haghia Sophia, the result was an imposing mosque of cascading domes and an interior decorated with elaborate blue tiles.
Pope Benedict XVI is scheduled to make a brief stop Thursday at Istanbul's famed Blue Mosque in a conciliatory gesture toward Muslims. His predecessor, Pope John Paul II, visited a mosque in Syria in 2001."
More:Istanbul's Blue Mosque built to showcase prowess of Islamic architects - Europe - International Herald Tribune