You know, I love it go on trips. After being in Turkey three times, I finally had the chance to go last year Istanbul, the pearl of the Bosphorus. For me, Istanbul is one of the most fascinating and incredible cities in the world.
I couldn’t wait to discover this extraordinary city located at the crossroads of two continents, with a history of more than 2000 years. Suffice to say, I was not disappointed with my trip, and despite my high expectations, Istanbul delighted and amazed me beyond anything I expected. After the first complete article presenting the main districts of Istanbul to visit, I would like to focus in this article on tour of the city’s main mosques.
I cannot say how many mosques there are in Istanbul, but there are countless. I know that I could not visit them all in 5 days, so I tried to discover the main and most emblematic ones in the city.
In this article I offer you my pick of the most beautiful mosques to visit in Istanbul.
How to dress to enter a mosque in Istanbul?
First of all, it is important to know a few rules to follow visit a mosque in Istanbul :
- women must wear a veil over their hair. To do this, I always had a scarf with me that I put on my hair to enter the mosque. The scarf can be worn in any way, it is tolerated if the hair sticks out so there is no need to worry about the perfect positioning.
- You must wear clothing that covers your shoulders and knees.. This rule applies to both women and men. Short skirts and shorts are prohibited.
- you must remove your shoes before entering the mosque. You will find places to wear shoes during your visit. That’s why I recommend having shoes that are easy to remove and wear with socks. The floor of the mosque is then covered with rugs or carpets.
Sultanahnamet district mosques
Hagia Sophia and its Byzantine mosaics
From 2024 visit to the Hagia Sophia mosque (Ayasofya), one of the most famous monuments of Istanbul, became paid for tourists.
The Hagia Sophia Mosque is initially a Christian basilicabuilt in the 4th century and then rebuilt in the 6th century during the reign of Emperor Justinian. After the Ottomans captured Constantinople in 1453, the church was turned into a mosque. Minarets will be erected around the main building. Since it became a museum during the reign of President Atatürk, President Erdogan reclassified it as a mosque in 2020.
The Hagia Sophia Mosque today it is divided into two parts:
- the lower part that remains free is reserved for Muslims to pray. During the peak working hours, there is a check at the entrance that checks whether you are a tourist or not. Arriving late at night seems to be out of control.
- the upper part for a tourist visit that allows you to see the Byzantine mosaics. It seems that after the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque in 2020, the mosaics were temporarily covered with a veil due to the ban on the representation of people in the Muslim faith. These sails seem to have been removed since they decided to pay a visit in 2024. In any case, during my visit in the spring of 2024, the mosaics were visible.
For my part, I therefore limited myself to a tour of the tourist section, which consists of a tour of the passage. For this visit I recommend taking a mobile phone with headset which can be used as an audio guide. In fact, there is very little written information other than QR codes to scan to listen to the audio commentary, which is available in French.
With visit to the Hagia Sophia mosque (about €24 in 2024), we strongly suggest at the box office that you take a surcharge to visit the impressive museum which costs a total of €50.
Personally, I had to insist a bit to have a ticket only for Hagia Sophia. In addition, I did not visit the museum because I found the price too high, especially since other visits to Istanbul are also very expensive, and the reviews on the Internet are mixed.
Interior Hagia Sophia Mosque is magnificent, however only a few Byzantine mosaics dating from the original church remain. It is not the same splendor as in Venice or Ravenna. Also note that the mosaics that have survived the centuries are placed in corners and will probably be almost impossible to see if you manage to sneak into the free part of the mosque.
From my point of view, visiting the Hagia Sophia remains extremely expensive compared to what can be seen inside. It takes between 45 and 1 hour to visit, which is quite fast. However, I know that I would be really disappointed if I came to Istanbul without visiting this legendary building.
The Blue Mosque
Away from Hagia Sophia, don’t leave the Sultahnamet neighborhood without visiting the extraordinary The Blue Mosque who faces him. This mosque was built by Sultan Ahmet I between 1609 and 1616 as a rival to Hagia Sophia.
As one of the starting points for the pilgrimage to Mecca, the Blue Mosque has the privilege of having 6 minarets.
Inside the Blue Mosque it’s just stunningly beautiful. The interior of the mosque is completely covered with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles from Iznik.
Little Hagia Sophia
Much less famous than the Hagia Sophia, “ Hagia Sophia Small Mosque » is also located in Sultanhamet district.
This is an ancient Romanesque church dedicated to Saints Sergius and Bacchus built during the reign of Justinian in 527. Like Hagia Sophia, this church was turned into a mosque after the fall of Constantinople. The atmosphere of peace and tranquility contrasts with the great Hagia Sophia. It’s worth a detour.
The interior of the mosque is quite dark. The walls are painted white with only a few ornaments.
La Mosquée Sokollu Mehmet Pasha
La Mosquée de Sokollu Mehmet Pasha it is located in a small alley in the Sultanhamet district not far from Little Sainte Sophia. It’s a mosque that doesn’t look like much from the outside, but it’s definitely worth a look.
It is not the biggest mosque, nor the most famous, on the contrary. I appreciated the calmness, the beauty of the golden colors at the end of the day, but above all these extraordinary ones Iznik earthenware dark blue, especially around the mirhab.
This mosque is for me one of the hidden gems of Istanbul, which shows if you’ve ever suspected that you shouldn’t hesitate to be curious and let yourself discover the city by going off the beaten track.
Around Eminönü and the Grand Bazaar
Mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent
Complex of the mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent, which spans a large hill overlooking the Grand Bazaar, with the Blue Mosque, one of the masterpieces of Islamic art to be discovered in Istanbul.
Complex of Mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent is huge and is not limited only to the mosque because all around it there was a garden, a hospital, a school of the Koran… South of the mosque we still find the mausoleums of Suleiman the Magnificent, his wife Rokselana and their daughter.
From the mosque garden, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Golden Horn and Beyoğlu district, which you can enjoy even more on a nice sunny day.
The new mosque
Located on the coast of the Golden Horn, in Eminönü districta stone’s throw from the Galata Bridge, is one of the most beautiful mosques in Istanbul: The new mosque which bears its name quite poorly today because its construction dates back to 1597!
The The new mosque is really massive and impressive. This was the first mosque I visited during my stay in Istanbul. I can tell you that, entering the courtyard and looking at its monumental dome and two minarets, I was mesmerized by the beauty of its architecture!
Inside the New Mosque is resplendent with its interior decoration typical of Islamic art. Thousands Iznik ceramic tiles decorate the lower part of the mosque, and ornamental frescoes decorate the walls and the dome.
Beyazit Mosque
The Bejazit Mosque, located near the Great Bazaar, is the last mosque I was able to visit in this district. Built in 15005, it is one of the oldest mosques in Istanbul. It was built on the ruins of the Roman forum. It is a very pleasant mosque to visit away from the crowds.
La mosquée Eyüpsultan à Eyüp
Finally, I suggest a slightly more eccentric mosque. It is located at the very end of the Golden Horn, Eyüp Mosque is a very important mosque in Istanbul because even today a place of pilgrimage.
During my visit this Sunday in May, there were so many people that I didn’t take a photo of the inside of the mosque.
