Mosques in Istanbul
The mosques of Istanbul are magnificent and numerous. More than 3000 mosques dot the city with their domes and minarets. Some are pretty, some are functional, and some are simply breathtaking. Here we have a list of the top 10 mosques to visit in Istanbul. While you visit each one, be sure to check out some of the features that are consistent from one to the other: the courtyards are often quite magnificent, and many offer a fountain for ablutions that is just as ornate as the mosque itself. Inside the mosque there is always a mihrab – a semicircular niche that indicates the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca – and it is usually very ornately decorated with tiles, mosaics, or gold. Oftentimes, the sultan or noble who ordered the mosque built is buried in the gardens of the mosque, and their tombs are also very ornate and quite beautiful.
Sultanahmet Mosque – the Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque was completed in 1616 under the rule of Ahmed I by the apprentice of the great architect Mimar Sinan. The last great mosque of the classic Ottoman period, it has tens of thousands of blue toned Iznik tiles decorating the interior; traditional in style at the lower levels, they become more flamboyant the higher they go. Unfortunately the Sultan fixed the price to be paid per tile at the beginning of construction, and by the time the mosque was finished several years later, the price of tiles had risen. The ceramic makers took to providing inferior quality tiles to match the low price, so the tiles higher up in the dome have faded and are generally not lasting as well as those on the lower levels. The tall, heavy central dome is supported by four massive pillars, and there are more than 200 stained glass windows. There are an additional four main domes and eight secondary domes. This is the only mosque in Istanbul with six minarets.
Hagia Sophia
The Hagia Sophia started life as a Christian Basillica in 537 when it was built on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, and was the world’s largest cathedral for nearly 1000 years, until Seville Cathedral was built in 1520. In 1453 it became a mosque and served as such for almost 500 years, until 1931. It was then secularized and became a museum in 1935. The Hagia Sophia is famous for its huge dome and amazing mosaics. There are several 9th century mosaics left from its time as an orthodox church, including Christ the Pantocrator above the imperial doorway, and the Virgin and child on the apse.
Süleymaniye Mosque
Mimar Sinan’s crowning glory, Suleymaniye Mosque is the imperial architect’s best known building. Large domes supported by half-domes, and the tall slender minarets typical of the classic Ottoman period of the 16th century make this a beautiful mosque. Only mosques endowed by the Sultan could have 4 minarets, and this mosque was built on the order of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. The largest mosque in the country, the interior of the dome is decorated with red, although restoration work has shown that Sinan originally started with blue before switching. The tombs of Süleyman and his sultana Roxelana are out in the garden and are quite magnificent with tiled panels and stained glass.
Yeni Camii – New Mosque
The New Mosque is not really very new, as it was finished in 1663, the second attempt to build a mosque on that site after the first one fell into disrepair before being finished. It has a huge courtyard and many domes cascading down the exterior of the building, two minarets, and the interior is decorated with gold, marble, and Iznik tile. On the edge of the water near the Galata bridge, the mosque has become a beloved silhouette on the skyline.
Eyup Sultan Mosque
Eyup Sultan Mosque is a major pilgrimage site for Muslims. Built for Mohammed’s standard-bearer, Ebu Eyüp el-Ensari who fell in battle during the seige of Constantinople in the 670s, the mosque was first built in the 1450s and then rebuilt to fix damage due to earthquakes in 1800. The mosque was the traditional site for the coronation ceremony of sultans. The tomb of Eyup is decorated in Iznik tiles.
Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Mosque
The Aziz Mahmud Hudayi Mosque is in the Uskudar section of Istanbul. Built in 1594, these days it is famous not for its minaret, dome, or interior decorations, but for the Imam who opens the doors of the mosque to the local stray cats. Cats are a revered animal in Islam, and are admired for their cleanliness. There is a story of Mohammed foregoing the use of his coat as his cat was sleeping on it. Imam Mustafa Efe started letting the cats into the mosque in the winter of 2014 to save them from the cold, and they have been welcome at prayers ever since.
Rustem Pasha
Rustem Pasha has an absolutely beautiful interior. Decorated with Iznik tiles, the floral and geometric patterns of blue, turquoise and white on the walls are quite striking. The tiles actually show the progression of colours in the ceramics coming out of the town of Iznik, with sage green and purple taking over from the original blue and turquoise, and then finally the addition of tiles with a tomato red and an emerald green. The mosque was built between 1561 and 1563, and is considered one of the finest examples of this type of decoration in all of Istanbul. This is another mosque designed by imperial architect Mimar Sinan.
Sehzade Mosque
Sehzade Mosque, or the “Prince’s Mosque” was built in memory of the son of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, Prince Mehmed, who died unexpectedly at the age of 21. The first large mosque built by imperial architect Mimar Sinan, it was built between 1543 and 1548 in the classic Ottoman style. The minarets are particularly beautiful with bas relief carvings and inlaid terracotta tiles. The tombs of Prince Mehmed and his siblings are located in the grounds of the mosque.
Beyazid II Mosque
The Beyazid II mosque was built in 1506, required repairs to the dome after an earthquake in 1509, and each of the minarets had to be replaced after separate fires in 1683 and 1764. Some of the stones used to build the mosque were acquired from the nearby Roman Forum of Theodosius, including the pavement in the large courtyard and the pillars of the ablution fountain. The interior design of the mosque borrows heavily from the style of the Hagia Sophia.
Ortakoy Mosque
Ortakoy Mosque is a small mosque on the banks of the Bosphorus, near the Bosphorus bridge which connects Asia and Europe. Built in 1854 by Nikogos Balyan, it is Neo-Baroque in style with large windows in the ornate exterior. The interior is small, and fairly plain, although it has a pink-hued mosaic on the interior of the dome. Two minarets with ornate balconies flank the mosque. It is frequently seen in photographs to show the dichotomy of old versus new in Istanbul.