The Blue Mosque was one of our first stops on our tour that day…read more My best advice is to wear pants that are loose and long, so everything down to your ankles is covered and you're wearing mid length sleeves on your tee shirt, not having bare shoulders. Even though my sister in law and I were wearing full length leggings they handed us both the communal skirts they give out as cover to those (men and women alike) that need it. We had both planned ahead and brought headscarves with us but there are plenty of stores directly around the mosque where women can buy a pashmina or something similar to wear, just make sure you pick one up unless you would like the communal one the hand out at the gate. Right before you enter you remove your shoes and they can be left in the bookcase on the side of the room while you visit. The mosque is gorgeous and the tile work is breathtaking. The decorated ostrich eggs that hang from the chandeliers were once upon a time used to ward off insects in the decades previous to air conditioning. It's a gorgeous space and absolutely worth a visit if you're in Istanbul.

An absolutely stunning mosque in the heart of Istanbul. Decorated inside with over 20,000…read moreblue-toned iznik tiles, it's truly a masterpiece. Likely one of the most visited sites due to its location in Sultanahmet Square. It is an example of Ottoman commitment to Islam and a reflection of their immense wealth. Like most mosques in the city, it's completely free to enter. Women must wear a head scarf and be modestly dressed. Scarves are provided if you don't have one. The mosque is very crowded during peak hours. I've had better luck in the evening for a more peaceful experience. Worth a visit and worth the hype!

The Süleymaniye Mosque ( is an Ottoman imperial mosque located on the Third Hill of Istanbul,…read moreTürkiye. The mosque was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent (r. 1520-1566) and designed by the imperial architect Mimar Sinan. As part of our tour, our tour guide led us to the mosque, explained its significance, and let us explore the grounds. Women are required to cover up inside the building, as is custom. The mosque is one of the largest in the city and is a part of the designated UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic Areas of Istanbul." The mosque is beautiful with its large dome and minarets. The building is one of the most recognizable buildings in Istanbul. It overlooks the Bosphorus River. Construction began in 1550 and completed in 1559. The mausoleum was added later between 1566-1568. Entrance was free.

This mosque is at Ottoman Empire build in 16th century. The mosque overlooking the Bosphorus River…read more It was great to stand at the mosque lower wall to look down to entire city. Great spot for picture. The mosque design just like Hagia Sophia Mosque with two half domes and one full center domes. This design makes the interior a lot bigger and great interior. The entrance is free.

Unique Underground Mosque located in the alleyways near Karakoy harbor. The subterranean mosque…read morehouses the ancient tombs of martyrs near the back of the mosque. Thanks to Ensar of Istanbulday Tours for sharing this special site with our family.

If you take the ferry from Eminonu or you venture around the Galata Bridge is impossible not to…read morenotice the majestic Yeni Camii, also known as the New Mosque. If you take a photo of the Sulthanamet side, GoldenHorn area and it will pop up in your view! It's also located near the Spice/Egyptian Bazaar. Hard to miss! Free to visit daily except the times for prayers. As a woman, bring a scarf! Not as crowded as Blue Mosque, but beautiful in its own way! The construction was completed in 1665 and it took more than half of century to be finished. A woman, Safiye Sultan, the wife of Sultan Murad III and later Queen Mother was the person who wanted and gave the order for this mosque to be built! The domes are beautiful inside, decorated with the famous blue Iznik Turkish tiles! There is also a building that is a mausoleum dedicated to tombs of past sultans and their wives and children, which was interesting to visit. Lots of history here! This was a new feature for us to discover while visiting a mosque. Be respectful and enjoy this slice of Turkish architecture and history! Easy to find if you visit other sites in the area!

Incredible and majestic, this might be the most wonderful of the Ottoman mosques. Commissioned in…read more1597 by Safiye Sultan, the powerful mother of Sultan Mehmed III, its construction was delayed for decades due to political shifts, financial struggles, and fires. It was finally completed in 1665 by another royal woman, Turhan Hatice Sultan, mother of Sultan Mehmed IV. This history makes Yeni Camii one of the few great Ottoman mosques sponsored and shaped by women of the imperial court. On the other side of the bridge from the Galata Tower, an Iconic landmark for the Golden Horn, it is adjacent to Taksim Square.

Rustem Pasa Camii is a blue beauty. You may stumble upon it but my mom and I were visiting it…read moreintentionally--it didn't seem like we were in the right place, and must be misunderstanding the directions, but then we practically tripped on it as we were wandering around the spice market. It will be very easy to overlook this This is another mosque designed by Sinan. It is named for Rustem Pasha, Grand Vizier for--and son-in-law of--Suleiman the Magnificent, and was completed a few years after Süleymaniye was finished. Although Sinan constructed many, many mosques, this one is somewhat unique in its extensive use of Iznik tile, which was created in a town in the Anatolian region. The extensive use of the tiles mean it's much more ornately decorated than many of the other mosques he designed. Taking a few moments of silence here. Take in both the architecture with many of the same elements of other mosques you may have visited in Istanbul (or elsewhere), with the marked difference of the tiling throughout. The tile remains incredibly vibrant in color for being set almost half a millennia. If you manage to find it, it's certainly worth popping in for a few minutes.

Sure. You're a tourist. They told you to go to the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya, maybe to Yeni Cami…read more But this mosque needs to be on your list as well. It is probably one of the most beautiful mosques in the world, and the tiles--so historic and gorgeous--must be seen. Read up on tile work before you got, just so that you can appreciate the craftsmanship that went into this mosque's construction. Getting there is a bit difficult: you have to go through the Spice Bazaar, and then through the back entrance down a street, and up a couple stairs. Ask along the way--it's definitely worth the extra effort.

When we arrived at the Basileus Hotel for our week in Istanbul, the staff suggested that my mom and…read moreI visit the Little Hagia Sophia. It is literally about a one minute walk from the hotel, so off we went. Emperor Justinian had this built as a church in the sixth century. Under the Ottomans, it was turned into a mosque. This structure and the Hagia Sophia are contemporaries, and have similar design, but neither is a model for the other. This mosque is a small one--you can stand in one spot in the room and see the full interior upon entrance. Still, it has the features you'll be used to seeing in other mosques, like the carpet designed to allow for worshipers to have proper spacing and be lined up for prayer. It also has very vibrant color on the interior and the windows let in beautiful light. It's not a site that takes much time to see, and I would not travel here if I was not in the area, but if you are nearby, a stop here wouldn't be out of order.

We decided to visit the "Little Hagia Sophia" (so called because it was also built by Justinian,…read morealong similar lines to the Hagia Sophia) before visiting some of the larger and more famous buildings. It is certainly less spectacular than the Hagia Sophia, but it has something to offer for people who are interested in older buildings. Do not expect original Byzantine architecture, however, as it has been heavily modified over the centuries, most recently to brace it against the vibrations from the railroad which runs right next to the building. For one thing, it is far less crowded, and you can take your time examining the paintings which decorate the upper galleries without feeling pushed or rushed. Although we did not have a language in common, the caretaker ensured that we saw all public parts of the building, by inviting us to climb to the gallery when we otherwise wouldn't have done so. As with all active mosques, you need to take off your shoes before entering, and women are asked to wear a headscarf. There were headscarfs you could borrow just inside the door. There is no charge to visit.

An stunning looking Mosque in Uskadar. Located in close proximity to the ferry terminal, it was…read morebuilt in the mid 1500s While we were there you could easily hear the call to prayer. As these are active places of worship we did not want to disturb the prayers and simply viewed it from the street. On the far side of the mosque there is a steep stair case leading along the wall. In addition to a small entrance there is also a small cemetery with old headstones. It also was a great spot to catch the setting sun

A beautiful peace of art built close to the pier of Üsküdar, that's why it's also called 'Iskele…read moreCamii'.. It's one of Üsküdar's best known landmarks.. The mosque was built by the daughter of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, Mihrimah Sultan.. The mosque was designed by the very famous architect Mimar Sinan.. The mosque was built between 1546 and 1548.. Mihr-i Mah means Sun and Moon..