11 Most Beautiful Mosques in Turkey and the Dress Code

The mosques in Turkey range from a 6th-century Byzantine cathedral turned mosque to a hilltop complex that opened in 2019. For a traveller, the best ones fall into three groups: the imperial mosques of Istanbul that you can see in two or three days, the Ottoman masterpieces in Edirne and Bursa that need a day trip, and the Seljuk-era stonework of central Anatolia for people who want to go further.

This guide picks 11 of them, in three cities plus Divriği, with the details that help you plan: where each one is, when it was built, what entry costs, when to go and the mistake that catches most visitors. If you are building a full city plan, read it alongside our guide to things to do in Istanbul and the wider Turkey travel page.

How we chose these mosques: We picked mosques that are open to visitors outside prayer times, that matter for their architecture or history, and that a traveller can reach without a private guide. Dates were checked against heritage and official visitor sources in October 2026. Opening rules change around prayer times, Ramadan and restorations, so confirm on the day.

Famous mosques in Turkey compared at a glance

How much time each mosque needs, and whether it fits your route, is in the table. Seven of the eleven are in Istanbul, so they fit into two or three days of sightseeing, while Bursa, Edirne and Divriği need separate trips. Three entries carry UNESCO World Heritage status: the Selimiye complex in Edirne, Divriği since 1985, and Bursa's early Ottoman monuments, inscribed in 2014 as part of the Bursa and Cumalıkızık site. Hagia Sophia is the only one with a ticket for foreign visitors; the rest are free but close to visitors during prayers.

11 most beautiful mosques in Turkey to visit

Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque), Istanbul

Sultan Ahmed I ordered this mosque on Sultanahmet Square, in Istanbul's Fatih district, in 1609, and it was finished in 1616. It is the most visited mosque in Turkey and free to enter. Its nickname comes from the blue-toned İznik tiles that cover the upper walls and the half-domes, which you see best from the centre of the prayer hall looking up. The six minarets were unusual for a sultan's mosque at the time and are still the easiest way to pick it out from a ferry on the Bosphorus.

Visitors use a separate entrance on the south side, away from the worshippers' gate facing the Hippodrome, and the mosque closes to visitors during the five daily prayers. Shoes go in a plastic bag you carry, and a rope keeps tourists to the rear of the hall. The queue moves fast on weekday mornings at opening time and becomes long by late morning, when tour groups arrive from the nearby hotels.

The courtyard is as large as the prayer hall and is worth a slow walk. Stand at its western gate for the classic view of the cascading domes. If you have little time, combine it with the Hippodrome and the Basilica Cistern, both within a five-minute walk.

First-time visitors should start here. Avoid Friday late morning and midday: visitor access stays closed until after the congregational prayer.

Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, Istanbul

Emperor Justinian completed Hagia Sophia in 537 as a cathedral, which makes it the oldest building on this list; it stands on Sultanahmet Square opposite the Blue Mosque and is part of a UNESCO site. It became a mosque after the Ottoman conquest in 1453, a museum in 1934 and a mosque again in 2020. The great dome rests on pendentives over a space so wide that the building shaped mosque design in the city for the next century, including the Blue Mosque across the square.

Since 2024 the visit works in two parts. Worshippers use the ground floor free of charge. Foreign visitors enter through a separate route that leads to the upper galleries, where you see the surviving Byzantine mosaics, including the Deesis panel, and look down on the prayer hall. Foreign visitors paid a published fee of 25 euros in October 2026, with free entry for young children.

The gallery route is busy, and the ticket line at the entrance can take longer than the visit itself on summer afternoons. Buy online where possible, arrive at opening time and skip Friday midday.

History lovers will want the gallery. Women need a headscarf even on the gallery route; men need long trousers.

Süleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul

Mimar Sinan built this complex for Süleyman the Magnificent between 1550 and 1557, and many architects still rate it the finest mosque in Istanbul. It stands on the Third Hill in the Süleymaniye quarter of Fatih, above Eminönü and the Golden Horn, so it reads as the crown of the old city skyline from Galata and from the ferries. Entry is free outside prayer times.

Inside, the space feels calmer than Sultanahmet: fewer tiles, more light, plain stone and a single huge dome. The tombs of Süleyman and his wife Hürrem stand in the walled garden behind the qibla wall, and Sinan's own small tomb sits at a corner of the complex. The terrace behind the mosque gives one of the widest free views in Istanbul, across the Golden Horn to Galata Tower, and late afternoon gives it the best light.

Around the mosque, the streets still hold the old madrasas and the row of bean-soup restaurants that once fed students. It is a 15-minute uphill walk from Eminönü, or a flat walk from the Grand Bazaar via the university gate.

Architecture fans should stay for sunset on the rear terrace, then walk down to the Galata Bridge.

Rüstem Pasha Mosque, Istanbul

Mimar Sinan completed this small mosque in the early 1560s for Grand Vizier Rüstem Pasha, and it hides above a row of shops on Hasırcılar Street in Eminönü, near the Spice Bazaar. You climb a narrow stair from the street to reach a raised terrace, and the noise of Eminönü drops away almost at once. Entry is free.

The reason to come is the tilework. İznik tiles cover the walls, the piers and even the porch, in tulip, carnation and floral patterns with a bright red that potters only mastered in this period. Many visitors find the tiles here richer and easier to study up close than in the Blue Mosque, because the space is small and you stand much nearer to them.

The mosque has had long restoration closures in recent years, so check that it is open before you plan your morning around it. Go in the morning, after the bazaar shops open, and combine it with the Spice Bazaar and a ferry ride from Eminönü pier.

Tile lovers and photographers should look carefully for the stair entrance between the shopfronts; it is easy to walk past.

Eyüp Sultan Mosque, Istanbul

In the Eyüpsultan district on the upper Golden Horn, Eyüp Sultan is the most important place of pilgrimage in Istanbul. It holds the tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad who died during an early Arab siege of Constantinople. Mehmed II built the first mosque here in 1458, and the present building dates from a rebuild around 1800. Entry is free.

The mood is devotional. Families bring boys in white costumes before circumcision ceremonies, pilgrims queue quietly at the tomb window, and pigeons fill the courtyard. Visitors are welcome, but dress and behaviour matter more here than at the Sultanahmet mosques. Weekday mornings are calmer; Fridays are crowded with pilgrims.

After the visit, take the cable car or walk up through the hillside cemetery to the Pierre Loti café for tea and a long view down the Golden Horn. Ferries on the Golden Horn line and buses from Eminönü reach Eyüp.

Travellers interested in faith and local life will value it most. Keep voices low at the tomb and do not photograph people praying.

Ortaköy Mosque (Büyük Mecidiye), Istanbul

On Ortaköy Square in Beşiktaş, the Büyük Mecidiye Mosque was built in 1854 to 1856 for Sultan Abdülmecid, designed by the Balyan family of architects. It is small and neo-baroque, with tall windows and curved lines, and it sits right on the Bosphorus waterfront with the 15 July Martyrs Bridge rising behind it. That framing makes it the most photographed mosque in the city after the Blue Mosque. Entry is free.

Inside, light from the big windows bounces off the water, and the calligraphy is credited to Sultan Abdülmecid himself. The square around it is lively, full of stalls selling kumpir (stuffed baked potato) and waffles, and cafés along the water.

Plan it as part of a Bosphorus afternoon: walk from Beşiktaş along the shore, or take a bus along the coast road. Come at sunset and stay for the square after dark, though weekend evenings are very busy.

For photographers, the pier at the south end of the square gives the shot.

Grand Çamlıca Mosque, Istanbul

Opened in 2019 on Çamlıca Hill in Üsküdar, on the Asian side, the Grand Çamlıca Mosque is the largest mosque in Turkey, with space for more than 60,000 worshippers. It was designed by two women architects and follows classical Ottoman lines on a huge scale, with six minarets visible from much of the city. Entry is free.

Visit for the scale and the hilltop setting more than for historic detail. The complex includes a museum of Turkish-Islamic art, a library and an underground car park, and the nearby Çamlıca Hill park has one of the best panoramas over both shores of the Bosphorus on a clear afternoon.

Getting there takes longer than the map suggests. From Üsküdar, use a taxi or bus up the hill. Combine it with a ferry ride across from Eminönü or Kabataş.

Repeat visitors who have seen the historic peninsula will find something different here.

Selimiye Mosque, Edirne

Sinan called the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne his masterpiece. Built for Selim II between 1568 and 1575 in the centre of the city, in Thrace in northwest Turkey, it has a dome that matches Hagia Sophia in scale, set on eight piers so the interior feels like one open space. Its four slender minarets rise about 71 metres. UNESCO inscribed the mosque and its social complex as a World Heritage Site in 2011. Entry is free.

Edirne is close to the Greek and Bulgarian borders, about two and a half to three hours from Istanbul by road. That makes it a long but doable day trip, and an easy overnight that lets you see the mosque at dusk without coach groups. Spring and autumn are the best seasons; midsummer is hot. The town also has the Old Mosque (Eski Cami), the Üç Şerefeli Mosque and a covered bazaar.

The madrasas around the mosque house museums, and the grassy park in front gives the best full-height view of the minarets.

If you love architecture and can travel, stay one night to see the mosque lit after dark.

Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami), Bursa

Bayezid I commissioned the Ulu Cami on Atatürk Street, central Bursa, after his victory at Nicopolis in 1396, and it was completed around 1400. Twenty domes in rows of five rest on twelve heavy piers, an older multi-dome plan from before the Ottomans adopted the single great dome. Entry is free.

The interior is famous for two things. A large ablution fountain stands inside the prayer hall under an open lantern, which is rare. The walls and piers carry some of the most celebrated calligraphy panels in Turkey, written in many different scripts and sizes.

Bursa was the first Ottoman capital and is easy to reach from Istanbul by fast ferry to Mudanya or Güzelyalı and then bus, or by road. The mosque is next to the old silk market (Koza Han), so a morning visit followed by lunch at the Koza Han fits into a half day in the centre.

Calligraphy lovers and anyone curious about early Ottoman history should put it high on the list.

Green Mosque (Yeşil Cami), Bursa

Sultan Mehmed I commissioned the Yeşil Cami, in the Yeşil district east of central Bursa, and it was completed in the early 1420s. It takes its name from the green and turquoise tiles inside, among the finest examples of early Ottoman tilework, made by craftsmen from Tabriz. The upper sultan's loge facing the entrance is fully tiled and gilded. Entry is free, and late morning, when the sun lights the tiles, is the time to go.

Across the road, the Green Tomb holds Mehmed I under a turquoise-tiled exterior. The surrounding Yeşil neighbourhood has quiet tea gardens with views over the city, and it is a short walk or taxi from the Grand Mosque.

Allow about an hour for the mosque and tomb together. Paired with the Ulu Cami and an İskender kebab lunch, the dish the city is known for, it makes a full Bursa mosque day.

Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği

Built in 1228 to 1229 under the Mengujekid emirate in the Seljuk era, this mosque and the hospital attached to it were among the first places in Turkey listed by UNESCO, in 1985. Visitors come for the stone portals: deep, almost baroque carving of leaves, stars and geometric forms, unlike anything else in Anatolia.

Divriği is a small, remote town in Sivas province in eastern central Turkey, far from the usual routes. Most travellers reach it by road from Sivas, about three hours away, or on the Eastern Express railway, which stops in Divriği. May to October is the season.

The complex has had a long restoration; entry is free, but confirm access before travelling. The reward is a site you share with very few other visitors.

Experienced travellers and stone-carving enthusiasts can pair it with an Eastern Express rail journey.

SponsoredUmrah packages from DhakaVisa, flights and hotels near the Haram in one booking.See packages

How to plan a mosque route in Istanbul and beyond

With two days in Istanbul, put the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia on the first morning, then walk to the Spice Bazaar and Rüstem Pasha before lunch. Save Süleymaniye for late afternoon on the same day or the next one, and finish with the Bosphorus at Ortaköy. Eyüp and Çamlıca suit a third day, since both need a ferry or bus out of the old city.

Outside Istanbul, Bursa works as a day trip with a fast ferry across the Sea of Marmara, and Edirne as a long day or an overnight by road. Divriği only makes sense if you are already travelling through central or eastern Anatolia. For flights into Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gökçen, start with our flight search, and check whether you need a visa for Turkey on our visa page: the rules depend on your passport, and the official route for most nationalities is the Republic of Türkiye e-Visa portal.

For a wider look at Islamic architecture beyond Turkey, our list of the world's most beautiful mosques covers mosques from Spain to Brunei.

Mosque etiquette and dress code in Turkey

• Dress code. Cover shoulders and knees. Women cover their hair; a light scarf in your bag saves buying a flimsy one at the gate. Loaner wraps are offered at the big mosques. Turn your phone to silent before you go in.
• Plan around prayers. Each of the five daily prayers closes visitor areas for about 30 to 90 minutes. Check the day's prayer times on a prayer app and arrive just after one ends.
• Fridays and Ramadan. Friday midday prayer means long closures at the big mosques. During Ramadan, evenings are crowded and some visitor hours change.
• Shoes off. Remove shoes before the carpet starts. Most mosques give a plastic bag; socks without holes are worth thinking about.
• Photos. Photography is generally allowed in visitor areas. Never photograph people praying, never use a flash, and keep a low voice.
• Donations. Most mosques are free. A small donation in the box at the exit helps maintenance and is appreciated.

Planning a trip to Turkey? Read our Turkey travel guide, compare hotels in Turkey or search flights.