Just a stone’s throw away from the Hagia Sophia is Sultan Ahmed Mosque (otherwise known as the Blue Mosque): a genuine piece of Islamic architecture. This mosque was built to qualm the insecurities of Sultan Ahmet I after the Ottoman Empire’s brutal defeat at the hands of the Persian Empire in 1618. To build it, he had to take money from the Ottoman treasury, which was not a popular move, but in spite of its unorthodox origins, it certainly is nice to look at now.

Entrance into this landmark is free, which is nice. To get inside, you have to go through light security, and cover your shoes with booties. Men have to wear conservative clothing that provides maximum coverage. Women even have to wear hijabs, which are distributed at the door.

CONFESSION: This was my first time actually being inside a mosque. What I saw in there was a bit of a shock to me. Sure, it was beautiful inside, but there was more going on than just aesthetics. The main area for worship was closed off to entry for anyone other than Muslim MEN. There were small areas against the back wall for women and children. Now, I consider myself a to be a pretty non-Islamaphobic guy, but the level of institutionalized sexism here actually blew my mind. I don’t think that I had ever truly internalized the inequalities promoted by this belief system until this moment. There was a sign hanging on the wall that read, “TO UNDERSTAND ISLAM, PLEASE CONTACT THE SPECIALIST."

Lol.

Maybe I should contact this alleged specialist to understand why what I just saw was not completely discriminatory. Honestly though, I've received so much hospitality and kindness from Muslim people throughout my travels that I can't pin this on any of them. Religion is a powerful thing, and we're all just trying to do the best we can with what we have. This just made me feel sorry for women born into this world. It's a hard dynamic to justify. I left annoyed. Here’s some pictures from inside anyway: