The Most Beautiful Mosques in Istanbul

This content was last updated on 07.02.2024 00:11

Istanbul is a city where many domestic and foreign tourists show great interest. Istanbul's magnificent mosques are at the top of the structures that people who want to explore the city most want to see. Especially after the Byzantine Empire's presence in Istanbul came to an end, many mosques were built in the city during the Ottoman period. Today, these historical mosques continue to attract the attention of tourists by restoring or constructing new mosques.

We have listed the 6 mosques that we recommend you to see among the most beautiful mosques in Istanbul.

Wonderful Mosques You Must See in Istanbul

The Hagia Sophia Mosque

Hagia Sophia Mosque is one of the must-see mosques in Istanbul. Hagia Sophia Mosque, considered by some to be the 8th wonder of the world, is located in the Sultanahmet district of Fatih district.

It was built as a patriarchal cathedral between 532 and 537 by the order of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. Hagia Sophia, which was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul, has served as a museum since 1935. Finally, on 17 July 2020, it was turned into a mosque again after 85 years.

The Hagia Sophia Mosque was such a magnificent structure that it would envy even Mimar Sinan, one of the most famous architects in history. Influenced by the Hagia Sophia Mosque, Mimar Sinan built his masterpiece, the Selimiye Mosque, which he describes as "my masterpiece".

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Sultan Ahmet Mosque

Another mosque in Fatih, the land of mosques, is the Sultan Ahmet Mosque.

Sultanahmet Mosque, which is a mosque that foreign tourists are very curious about, is also known as the "Blue Mosque". The construction of the Sultan Ahmet Mosque, which was started in 1609 by the order of Ahmed I, was completed in 1617.

The architect of the mosque is Architect Sedefkar Mehmed Ağa, one of Mimar Sinan's students. The sultan of the period, Ahmed I, was not a very successful sultan in war. That's why he came up with the idea of building a huge mosque that had to surpass Hagia Sophia, the most respected mosque of that time, in terms of size and beauty, in order to please Allah. For this reason, the Blue Mosque is located directly opposite the Hagia Sophia Mosque. You can decide which of the Hagia Sophia Mosque and the Blue Mosque are more impressive by visiting both of them.

Süleymaniye Mosque

The first mosque to be seen in Istanbul is the Süleymaniye Mosque, which Mimar Sinan describes as "my journeyman's work". The construction of the Süleymaniye Mosque, located in the district of Fatih, started in 1551 and ended in 1557. This wonderful mosque, which was built by Mimar Sinan by the order of Suleiman the Magnificent, was called "the mosque that will stay eternal" by the people. In the past, it was also used for educational purposes as a complex.

The four minarets of the Süleymaniye Mosque represent the four sultans who took the throne from the conquest of Istanbul to the construction of the mosque. The 10 balconies on the minarets are due to the fact that the sultan of the period Suleiman the Magnificent was the 10th sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The elegant and simple exterior appearance of the mosque leaves its place to an impressive interior design as soon as you enter.

Eyüp Sultan Mosque

Eyüp Sultan Mosque located in Eyüpsultan district of Istanbul. It is in the place where the tomb of Eyüp Sultan, the companion of Muhammad, is located. Eyüp Sultan Mosque, which was built in 1458, gained its present appearance as a result of the restoration in 1800. It is said that 3 different architects contributed to the construction of the mosque.

Eyüp Sultan Mosque is a very important place for Muslims. During religious holidays, you will find that the mosque is quite busy with people from all over the world to pay respect and pray in the mosque and during these times the mosque may be closed or limited to general visitors. We strongly recommend you to visit such an important mosque for the religion of Islam.

Çamlıca Mosque

Located in Üsküdar district and considered one of the new symbols of Istanbul, Çamlıca Mosque was built as a mixture of Ottoman and Seljuk architectures. Çamlıca Mosque, the largest mosque in the history of the Republic, was opened to worship on March 7, 2019. 63 thousand people can pray at the same time in this huge mosque, which is located on a total area of 15 thousand square meters, with a closed area of ​​10 thousand square meters and an open area of ​​5 thousand square meters.

Çamlıca Mosque is also very interesting with its interesting architectural details. The height of the main dome from the ground was 72 meters, dedicated to 72 people living within the borders of Turkey. The 34-meter diameter of the dome represents the plate of Istanbul. There are 16 of the 99 names of Allah on the domes, and each of these 16 names represents one of the 16 Turkish states in history. In addition, its 6 minarets represent the 6 pillars of faith and the 107.1 meters height of the minarets is a reference to the 1071 Battle of Manzikert, the war in which the Turks entered Anatolia.

Ortaköy Mosque (Great Mecidiye Mosque)

Ortaköy Mosque is also known as Büyük Mecidiye Mosque. Located in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, this mosque is one of the most beautiful examples of Ottoman-era Baroque architecture. It has a very aesthetic appearance with its Baroque style dome surrounded by four corner towers and two elegant minarets rising to the sky. It is also a very interesting mosque with its zero location to the Bosphorus Bridge.

The history of Ortaköy Mosque dates back to the 1700s. However, this structure was burned as a result of a rebellion in Istanbul. It was built by the Armenian architect Nigoğos Balyan by Sultan Abdülmecid in 1853. The carvings and reliefs on the walls of Ortaköy Mosque, which draws attention especially with the richness of its exterior decorations, bring mobility to the exterior of the building.

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