When embarking on a cultural and historical journey in Istanbul, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind for all of us is mosques. The focal point and destination of all domestic and foreign tourists visiting this distinguished city are undoubtedly the mosques of Istanbul. We embark on a spiritual journey in the most beautiful mosques of Istanbul, with their magnificent architectures, minarets reaching towards the sky, and historical ages witnessing empires. Here are the historical and famous mosques you must see in Istanbul:
Sultan Ahmet Mosque
Located in the Sultanahmet district of Istanbul, Sultan Ahmet Mosque, one of the most important works of the 17th century, is an indispensable part of the Istanbul skyline with its interior and exterior architectural beauty. Built by Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I between 1609-1616 and commissioned to the architect Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa, Sultan Ahmet Mosque is an important work of the Islamic world where power meets aesthetics, architectural genius meets talent. Covered with more than 20,000 flower-patterned blue and white Iznik tiles, the mosque is nicknamed the ‘Blue Mosque’ by foreigners due to this feature. The chain hanging at the north gate of the mosque serves as a reminder of the greatness of Allah and a symbol that everyone entering the mosque is equal. In fact, the sultans of the time used to bow their heads to avoid hitting this chain when entering the mosque.
Büyük Mecidiye Mosque (Ortaköy Mosque)
Commonly known as Ortaköy Mosque, Büyük Mecidiye Mosque is located on the shores of the Ortaköy district of Beşiktaş. Built by Sultan Abdülmecid in 1853 by the famous Armenian architects Garabet Amira Balyan and his son Nigoğos Balyan, the mosque enchants visitors with its Neo-Baroque architectural style. With its large and high windows bringing the variable and colorful lights of the Bosphorus into the mosque and its two minarets carrying impressive examples of stone carving art, this mosque is a favorite spot for photographers.
Hagia Sophia Mosque
Another mosque that defies the years is the Hagia Sophia Mosque located in Sultanahmet. Although functioning as a mosque today, Hagia Sophia was actually built as a cathedral by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I between 532-537. Still attracting everyone’s attention with its 1500-year history, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque after the Conquest of Istanbul. Designated as a museum by a decision of the Council of Ministers in 1935, Hagia Sophia was reconverted into a mosque and reopened for worship in 2020.
Regarded as the eighth wonder of the world, Hagia Sophia was built as a domed basilica. Hagia Sophia covers a very large area with a dome system so large and complex that no other basilica of its time had. Such a large dome supported by only four piers is both a technical and aesthetic revolution in architectural history. Due to its mosaics and unique examples of calligraphy, Hagia Sophia was also included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.
Pertevniyal Valide Sultan Mosque
Built between 1869-1871 by Pertevniyal Valide Sultan, the wife of Sultan Abdulmejid and the mother of Sultan Abdulaziz, the mosque is located in the Aksaray Square. Designed by Sarkis Balyan, with the contributions of Hagop Balyan, the mosque complex consists of a mosque, school, tomb, tomb attendant’s room, library, clock room, police station, six fountains, and seven shops. The mosque, with its neo-Gothic design, has a quite different architecture from classical mosques. Built in the eclectic (mixed) style, the mosque sits on four large arches resting on four large pillars, a single-domed structure commonly seen in late Ottoman mosques.
Eyüp Sultan Mosque
Located in the Eyüp district, Eyüp Sultan Mosque is a significant architectural monument in Turkish and Islamic history. Carrying the distinction of being the first mosque built after the conquest of Istanbul, Eyüp Sultan Mosque was built in a rectangular plan with a protruding mihrab. With a centuries-old plane tree in the courtyard, the interior of the mosque is a symbol of splendor with its honey-colored walls, turquoise carpets, and massive chandeliers. The name of the mosque is derived from Eyüp Sultan, the standard-bearer who died with his flag in hand over 1300 years ago during the siege of Istanbul by the Prophet Muhammad, and the district takes its name from the Eyüp Sultan Mosque.
Molla Zeyrek Mosque / Fatih
Located on a hill overlooking the Golden Horn and established on a vast area with terraces resembling the churches of the Pantokrator Monastery from the Byzantine period, Molla Zeyrek Mosque was converted from a church to a madrasa by Fatih Sultan Mehmet after the Conquest and opened as the first madrasa in Istanbul, later it started to be used as a mosque. Continuing to defy history with its ornamented floor decorations, Molla Zeyrek Mosque, the largest surviving Byzantine work after Hagia Sophia, bears witness to history. The mosque holds the title of the second-largest church to survive from Byzantium to the present day after Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
New Mosque (Valide Sultan Mosque) / Eminönü
Carrying the distinction of being the last great mosque built by the Ottoman family in Istanbul, the New Mosque, also known as Valide Sultan Mosque, is recorded as the mosque with the longest construction period in the Ottoman period. The mosque, whose foundations were laid in 1597 at the order of Sultan III. Murad’s wife Safiye Sultan, was completed in 1665 through the great efforts of IV. Mehmet’s mother Turhan Hatice Sultan and the donations made. Damaged extensively in a major fire in Istanbul in 1660, the mosque was restored under the orders of Köprülü Mehmet Pasha and returned to the city. Located in the Eminönü district of Fatih, the New Mosque is one of the most magnificent of the sultan mosques on the shores of the Bosphorus.
Süleymaniye Mosque / Fatih
Located in the Fatih district of Istanbul, the Süleymaniye Mosque, completed between 1550-57 by Mimar Sinan, still arouses admiration today as a “journeyman period work” according to his own words, not only as an engineering marvel but also as the pinnacle of Ottoman aesthetics.
In the mosque, where many historical events are symbolized by numbers; 4 minarets symbolize that Kanuni Sultan Süleyman was the 4th sultan after the conquest of Istanbul. The 10 balconies of the mosque refer to the 10th sultan who ascended the throne since its establishment. It is known that the 4 elephant feet represent the 4 caliphs of Islam. You may have the chance to participate in iftar dinners likely to be organized in the mosque garden during the Ramadan, which will start on April 2 this year.
Beyazıt Mosque / Beyazıt
One of the first examples of classical Ottoman architecture, Beyazıt Mosque was built by Sultan II. Bayezid approximately 50 years after the conquest of Istanbul. Built by II. Bayezid in the famous Theodosius Square of the city, now Bayezid Square, Beyazıt Mosque suffered great damage due to earthquakes and lightning natural disasters. The architect of the mosque, which has reached to the present day through restoration works, is not known for certain. (Rumors point to the architects Hayrettin, Yakupşah, Sultanşah, or Kemaleddin.)
Fatih Mosque
The mosque and complex built by Fatih Sultan Mehmet in the Fatih district includes 16 madrasas, a hospital, a guesthouse, an imaret (soup kitchen), a library, and a bathhouse. Carrying the distinction of being the first selatin mosque built after the conquest of Istanbul, i.e., the mosque built by the sultan or their families, the mosque was designed by the architect Atik Sinan. Unfortunately, the mosque, which did not preserve its original form after two major earthquakes, is known for being the place where the first Turkish call to prayer in Turkish was recited in 1932.
Other historical mosques to see in Istanbul:
Dolmabahçe Mosque (Bezmialem Valide Sultan Mosque)
Şehzade Mosque
Üsküdar Mihrimah Sultan Mosque
Beylerbeyi Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Hırka-i Şerif Mosque
Valide-i Atik Mosque
Valide-i Cedid Mosque
Nuruosmaniye Mosque
Arap Mosque
Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Mosque
Kalenderhane Mosque
Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque
Sinan Pasha Mosque
Şemsi Pasha Mosque
Çinili Mosque
Taksim Mosque