Seen from the courtyard , Sultan Ahmet mosque appears as a smooth succession of domes and semi-domes which have the overall effect of perfect harmony that leads up to the peak of the central dome . The prayer hall is covered by an ascending system of domes and semi-domes , each supported by three exedrae , culminating in the huge encompassing central dome , which measures 23 . 5m in diameter and rises 43 m high at its central point . The domes are supported by four massive piers “elephant feet” , each is 5m in diameter , and consisting of multiple convex marble grooves at their base , while the upper half is painted . The upper half is separated from the base by an inscriptive band with gilded words .
At the interior , the lower part of the walls and every pier are lined with more than 20 , 000 handmade ceramic tiles , while the areas above the tiles and the inside of the domes are decorated with paintwork . The handmade ceramic tiles were made at Iznik (the ancient Nicaea) in more than fifty different TULIP designs . It can be noticed that the tiles at lower levels are traditional in design , while at gallery level their design becomes flamboyant and have different representations of flowers , fruit and cypresses . It is
also known that the tiles on the back balcony wall were recycled tiles that originally taken from the Harem section in Topkapi Palace when it was damaged by the fire of 1574 . There is a marble minber (pulpit) with exquisite marble work located next to the mihrab (niche) . The sultan’s loge is located on the other side with its balcony . There are about 260 windows in the mosque which allow adequate amount of light to enter the inside of the mosque .
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