Visiting historical sights and exploring the local culture are among the interesting activities that you can do while visiting another city. If you are planning to go to Istanbul, one of the things to do here can be visiting mosques, as they are culturally and religiously important structures. So, you may be wanting to learn about some of the Istanbul famous mosque options to check out. On this blog post you can find some suggestions for this and if the options on our list attract your interest, you can add them to your trip plan!
Here are Some of the Istanbul Famous Mosque Choices to Know About…
A mosque is a religious structure used by Muslims for prayer. When visiting Istanbul, going to some of the well-known mosques in this city can be a great activity idea. This way you can explore some magnificent mosques and get to experience a cultural and religious side of this city firsthand. There are lots of different Istanbul famous mosque choices to visit for this. For instance, Eyüp Sultan Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Ortaköy Mosque and the Blue Mosque are among these. We will discuss these and many others on this blog post.
Istanbul Famous Mosque
1. Eyüp Sultan Mosque is an Istanbul Famous Mosque
Looking for Istanbul famous mosque options to know about? If so, Eyüp Sultan Mosque can be an awesome one. It is one of the historical mosques in this city and today it is still used. This mosque was built in 1458 and due to the damage on the structure, it was rebuilt in 1800, with another rebuilding phase taking place later. If you are planning to visit Eyüp Sultan Mosque, it is open 24 hours and it is located in the Eyüpsultan district of the city.
2. An Iconic and Well-Known Mosque in Istanbul is Ortaköy Mosque
Another one among the Istanbul famous mosque choices we can discuss is Ortaköy Mosque and it is one of the iconic places in this city. With its Ottoman Baroque style, Ortaköy Mosque is a beautiful place to visit. Its construction was ordered by Abdülmecid I in the 19th century and completed in 1854 or 1856. Garabet Balyan and Nigoğayos Balyan worked as the architects of the mosque. This mosque is located in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul and it is open between 4 AM and 10 PM through the week.
3. Fatih Mosque is Another One Among Istanbul Famous Mosque Choices
In terms of being a popular tourist attraction, this one may not be as famous as places such as Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. However, Fatih mosque is still one of the well-known mosques in Istanbul that can be worth visiting. While it is not open to visitors during prayer times, Fatih Mosque can be visited between 9 AM and 6 PM through the week. As you may probably guess from its name, this mosque is located in Fatih. This mosque was built in the 15th century but due to an earthquake it was damaged later. Then it was rebuilt in the 18th century and it is still used today.
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4. If You are Looking for a Mosque to Visit in Istanbul, Consider Yeni Cami Mosque
In case you are trying to find a mosque to visit in Istanbul, another choice can be this one: Yeni Mosque, which is also known as the New Mosque and Yeni Cami. This mosque is located in the Fatih district and it can be visited from 9 AM to 6 AM. But it can be worth noting that it is not open for visits during prayer times. The construction of this mosque began in 1597 and it was finished in 1665. It is a magnificent and striking structure in Istanbul.
5. Trying to Find an Istanbul Famous Mosque? The Bayezid II Mosque Can Be Another Choice
Another one of the historical mosques in Istanbul is this one. If you are planning to visit this mosque, make sure to not do it during prayer times, as it is not available for visits at these times. From 8.30 AM to 5.30 PM, the Bayezid II Mosque is open. The construction of this mosque was ordered by Bayezid II and its architect was Mimar Hayruddin. After its construction began in 1501, it was finished in 1506. This mosque is located in the Fatih district of the city.
6. Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque Can Be Worth Visiting
When talking about Istanbul famous mosque options, we should definitely mention Hagia Sophia. Because it is one of the most well-known places in Istanbul and can definitely be worth visiting. It is a beautiful and magnificent structure. While many of the historical mosques in Istanbul are from the Ottoman times, this one is an older place. Hagia Sophia was built by the Eastern Romans in 4th century. When the Ottomans took the city, they turned this place to a mosque and later it was used as a museum. Currently it is used as a mosque and it is located in Fatih.
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7. The Selimiye Mosque is a Big Mosque from the Ottoman Period
Grand Selimiye Mosque, which is also known as the Selimiye Mosque, can be another one of the Istanbul famous mosque choices to know about. It is a mosque that is open 24 hours through the week and it is located in the Üsküdar district. The mosque’s construction was ordered by the sultan Selim III and it began in 1801, getting finished in 1805. The Selimiye Mosque was built in the Ottoman Baroque style and there is another mosque with the same name in Edirne, another city in Turkey.
8. Arap Mosque is Another Mosque in Istanbul That Can Be Worth Checking out
Do you plan to go to Istanbul and visit historical mosques in this city? In this case, one of the places for this can be this one. Arap Mosque is another one of the mosques in Istanbul which were originally built as churches. It was originally built as a church in the 14th century in Gothic style. After the conquest of the city by the Ottomans this place was turned into a mosque in the 15th century. It is located in the Beyoğlu district and it is open between 9 AM and 7 PM from Monday to Friday. This place is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
9. In Case You are Trying to Find an Istanbul Famous Mosque, Another Option Can Be Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque is one of the mosques in Istanbul built by the well-known architect Mimar Sinan. The person whom the mosque was named after was one of the Grand Viziers of the Ottomans. Its construction began in 1561 and it was finished in 1563, taking two years to complete. This mosque is open 24 hours through the week and it is located in the Fatih district of the city. If you are trying to find a historical mosque to visit in Istanbul, this one can be among the choices to keep in mind.
10. An Old and Famous Mosque in Istanbul is Suleymaniye Mosque
On this blog post we have talked about some of the lesser known historical mosques in Istanbul. After these, let’s discuss a fairly well-known Istanbul famous mosque: Suleymaniye Mosque. The construction of this mosque was ordered by the sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and it was finished in 1557. Mimar Sinan was the architect of this mosque. Suleymaniye Mosque is in Fatih and it is open from 8.30 AM to 4.45 PM, except for Fridays when it closes at 1.30 AM.
11. Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque is Another Well-Known Mosque in Istanbul
Here is another mosque in this city built by Mimar Sinan: Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque. This mosque is open 24 hours and it is located in the Beyoğlu district. The construction of this mosque was carried out from 1578 to 1580. Its architectural style is Ottoman architecture and the mosque is located in a mosque complex called the Kılıç Ali Pasha Complex. It is another Istanbul famous mosque option that can be worth checking out.
12. Don’t Forget to Check out the Beauty of the Blue Mosque
The last Istanbul famous mosque that we will talk about on this blog post is the Blue Mosque, which is also known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. It is one of the popular structures in this city and it is located in Fatih. The Blue Mosque is available to visit between 8.30 AM and 6.30 PM, except for prayer hours.
Istanbul Famous Mosque Options Final Words
Have you considering visiting Istanbul? If that is the case, and you are planning to go to Istanbul, you may be wanting to learn about some Istanbul famous mosque suggestions. Because visiting the mosque options in this city can be a nice activity to do. On this post we talked about a variety of famous mosques in Istanbul, such as the Suleymaniye Mosque, Arap Mosque, Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque and the Bayezid II Mosque. If you have been looking for mosques to check out in Istanbul, consider adding some of the ones we talked about to your list.