PHOTO GALLERY: Deadly blast bloodies the main tourist hub of Turkey's capital

Multimedia

Police secure the area after an explosion near the Ottoman-era Sultanahmet mosque, known as the Blue mosque in Istanbul, Turkey January 12, 2016 (Reuters)

Emergency services attend the scene after an explosion near the Ottoman-era Sultanahmet mosque, known as the Blue mosque in Istanbul, Turkey January 12, 2016 (Reuters)

Ambulances and firefighters stationed near the city's landmark Sultan Ahmed Mosque or Blue Mosque after an explosion at Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet district, which is popular with tourists, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016 (AP)

Police and media gather in front of the Blue Mosque at the historic Sultanahmet district after an explosion in Istanbul, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016 (AP)

Policemen search for evidence at the historic Sultanahmet district after an explosion in Istanbul, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016 (AP)

Ambulances and firefighters gather near the city's landmark Sultan Ahmed Mosque or Blue Mosque after an explosion at Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet district, which is popular with tourists, on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016 (AP)

Turkish police officers secure the area after an explosion, in the historic Sultanahmet district of Istanbul, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016 (AP)

Tourists walk outside the Hagia Sofia as Turkish police block access to the nearby Blue Mosque area after a blast in Istanbul's tourist hub of Sultanahmet on January 12, 2016 (AFP)

Tourists walk outside the Blue Mosque after a blast in Istanbul's tourist hub of Sultanahmet on January 12, 2016 (AFP)

Security members evacuate people from the area near the city's landmark Sultan Ahmed Mosque or Blue Mosque shortly after an explosion at Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet district, which is popular with tourists, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016 (AP)

Ambulances and police were despatched to Sultanahmet, the city's main tourist hub, which is home to world-famous monuments including the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, television reports said.