Updated Date : 04.03.2024
Historical Mosques of Istanbul
There are more than 3000 mosques in Istanbul. The majority of the traveler come to Istanbul with the name of some famous mosques of Istanbul. Some travelers even think that after seeing one mosque, the rest is similar to what they already saw. In Istanbul, there are some beautiful mosques that a visitor should visit while they are in Istanbul. Here is a list of some of the best historical mosques in Istanbul.
Hagia Sophia Mosque
The most historical mosque in Istanbul is the famous Hagia Sophia Mosque. The mosque was initially built as a church in the 6th century AD. After serving as the holiest church of Orthodox Christianity for several centuries, it was converted to a mosque in the 15th century. With the Republic of Turkey, the building was converted into a museum, and finally, in 2020, it started functioning as a mosque for one final time. The building is the oldest standing Roman construction In Istanbul with the harmony of decorations from the church and mosque times. All in all, it is a must to start visiting mosques with the Hagia Sophia Mosque.
Istanbul E-pass has a guided tour (outer visit) to Hagia Sophia with a licensed Professional English-speaking guide. Join and enjoy the history of Hagia Sophia from the Byzantium period till today.
How to get to Hagia Sophie Mosque
From Taksim to Hagia Sophia: Take the F1 funicular from Taksim Square to Kabatas station, change to the T1 Tram line, get off at Sultanahmet station and walk around 4 minutes to Hagia Sophia.
Opening Hours: Hagia Sophia is open every day from 09:00 to 19.00
Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque)
Without a doubt, the most famous mosque in Istanbul is the famous Blue Mosque. This mosque may even be the most famous in the country. What makes this mosque famous is its location. Its prime location right in front of the Hagia Sophia makes this mosque the most visited mosque in Istanbul. The original name is Sultanahmet Mosque which also gave the name of the neighborhood later on. The Blue Mosque's name comes from the interior decoration, blue tiles from the best quality tile manufacturing city, İznik. The building is from the 17th century and is the only mosque with six minarets from the Ottoman Era in Turkey.
Get beforehand and more information with an Istanbul E-pass. Istanbul E-pass has an everyday Blue Mosque and Hippodrome tour with a licensed English-speaking guide.
How to get to Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque)
From Taksim to Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque): Take the F1 funicular from Taksim Square to Kabatas station, change to the T1 Tram line, get off at Sultanahmet station, and walk around 2 or minutes to Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque).
Suleymaniye Mosque
One of the masterpieces of the famous architect Sinan in Istanbul is Suleymaniye Mosque. Built for the most powerful Ottoman sultan in history, Suleyman the Magnificent, Suleymaniye Mosque is on the heritage list of UNESCO. It was a big mosque complex including universities, schools, hospitals, bathhouses, and many more. Even the tomb of Suleyman the Magnificent and his powerful wife Hurrem is in the mosque's courtyard. Visiting this mosque also gives great pictures of the Bosphorus from the terrace behind the mosque. Istanbul E-pass provides audio guide of Suleymaniye Mosque.
How to get to Suleymaniye Mosque
From Sultanahmet to Suleymaniye Mosque: You can directly walk around 20 minutes to Suleymaniye Mosque or you can take T1 to Eminonu station and walk around 15 minutes to Suleymaniye Mosque.
From Taksim to Suleymaniye Mosque: Take the M1 metro to Vezneciler station and walk around 10 minutes to Suleymaniye Mosque.
Opening Hours: Every day from 08:00 to 21:30.
Eyup Sultan Mosque
The most visited mosque in Istanbul by the locals is the famous Eyup Sultan Mosque. Eyup Sultan is one of the companions of the prophet Muhammad of Islam. One speech by the prophet Muhammad stated, "Istanbul will be conquered one day. The one who does that is a brave general, soldiers; soldiers" Eyup Sultan moved from Saudi Arabia to Istanbul. They sieged the city and tried to conquer it without success. Then Eyup Sultan died just outside of the city walls. His tomb was found by one of the teachers of Sultan Mehmed the 2nd and was covered by a dome. Then a big mosque complex was attached gradually. Today makes this mosque the highest respected and the most visited mosque by the local people living in Turkey.
How to get to Eyup Sultan Mosque
From Sultanahmet to Eyup Sultan Mosque: Take the T1 tram from Sultanahmet station to Karakoy station, change to the bus (bus number: 36 CE), get off Necip Fazil Kisakurek station, and walk around 5 minutes to Eyup Sultan Mosque.
From Taksim to Eyup Sultan Mosque: Take the 55T bus from Taksim Tunel station to Eyup Sultan station and walk for around minutes to Eyup Sultan Mosque.
Opening Hours: Every day from 08:00 to 21:30.
Fatih Mosque
After Constantine the Great declared Istanbul as the new capital of the Roman Empire in the 4th century AD, he gave the order for many different constructions in Istanbul. One of these orders was building a church and having a burial site for himself. After his death, Constantine the Great was buried in a mosque called Havariyun (Holy Apostles) Church. After the conquest of Istanbul, Sultan Mehmed the 2nd gave a similar order. He gave the order to destroy the Holy Apostles Church and to build the Fatih Mosque at the top of it. The same order was given for the tomb of Constantine the Great. So today, the tomb of Sultan Mehmed the 2nd is over the tomb of Constantine the Great. This would have a political meaning then, but today after Eyup Sultan Mosque, this is the second most visited mosque by the locals of Istanbul.
How to get to Fatih Mosque
From Sultanahmet to Fatih Mosque: Take the T1 tram from Sultanahmet station to Yusufpasa station and walk around 15-30 minutes to Fatih Mosque.
From Taksim to Fatih Mosque: Take the bus (bus numbers: 73, 76D, 80T, 89C, 93T) from Taksim Tunel station to the Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediye station and walk around 9 minutes to Fatih Mosque.
Opening Hours: Every day from 08:00 to 21:30.
Mihrimah Sultan Mosque
Many mosques in Istanbul were built for the female members of the royal family in the Ottoman Era. However, one of the most famous mosques built for a female member is Mihrimah Sultan Mosque in Edirnekapi. The location is close to the Chora Museum and the city walls. Mihrimah Sultan is the only daughter of Suleyman the Magnificent and married the prime minister of his father. This makes her after her mother, Hurrem, the most powerful woman of the Topkapi Palace. Her mosque is one of the works of the architect Sinan and one of the brightest mosques in Istanbul with countless windows.
How to get to Mihrimah Sultan Mosque
From Sultanahmet to Mihrimah Sultan Mosque: Walk to the Eyup Teleferik bus station (next to the Vezneciler Metro station), take bus number 86V, get off Sehit Yunus Emre Ezer station and walk around 6 minutes to Mihmirah Sultan Mosque.
From Taksim to Mihrimah Sultan Mosque: Take bus number 87 from Taksim Tunel station to Sehit Yunus Emre Ezer station and walk around 6 minutes to Mihrimah Sultan Mosque.
Opening Hours: Every day from 08:00 to 21:30
Rustem Pasa Mosque
Rustem Pasa lived in the 16th century and served as the prime minister to the powerful Ottoman Sultan, Suleyman the Magnificent. What's more, he even married the only daughter of the sultan. That made him one of the most influential people in the 16th century back. To show his power in a prime location, he gave an order for a mosque. Of course, the architect was one of the busiest architects of the 16th century, Sinan. The mosque was decorated with the best quality Iznik tiles, and also, the red color was used in these tiles. The red color in the tiles was a privilege for the royal family in the Ottoman Era. So this is the only mosque in Istanbul bearing one minaret, a sign of an ordinary mosque, and with the color red in the tiles, which is royalty.
Discover more about Rustem Pasha with Istanbul E-pass. Enjoy Spice Bazaar & Rustem Pasha guided tour with a professional English Speaking guide.
How to get to Rustem Pasha Mosque
From Sultanahmet to Rustem Pasha Mosque: Take the T1 tram from Sultanahmet station to Eminonu station and walk around 5 minutes to Rustem Pasha Mosque.
From Taksim to Rustem Pasha Mosque: Take F1 Funicular from Taksim square to Kabatas station, change to the T1 Tram line, get off Eminonu station and walk around 5 minutes to Rustem Pasha Mosque.
Opening Hours: Every day from 08:00 to 21:30.
Yeni Cami (New Mosque)
Yeni in Turkish means new. The funny thing about this mosque is that it was built in the 17th century with the New Mosque. Back then, that was new, but not anymore. The New Mosque is one of the royal mosques of Istanbul. The exciting thing about this mosque is that it is located right on the seaside; they put many wooden bases to the sea and constructed the mosque at the top of these wooden bases. This was for not letting the mosque sink because of the weight of the construction. They realized recently that this was a good idea seeing the wooden bases are still in good shape and holding the building perfectly in the final renovations. The New Mosque is again a mosque complex including the famous Spice Market. The spice Market was the market financing the need of the New Mosque from the rents of the shops in the Ottoman Era.
How to get to Yeni Cami (New Mosque)
From Sultanahmet to Yeni Cami (New Mosque): Take the T1 tram from Sultanahmet station to Eminonu station and walk around 3 minutes to Yeni Cami (New Mosque).
From Taksim To Yeni Cami (New Mosque): Take F1 Funicular from Taksim square to Kabatas station, change to the T1 Tram line, get off Eminonu station and walk around 3 minutes to Yeni Cami (New Mosque).
Opening Hours: Every day from 08:00 to 21:30
The Final Word
Historical mosques in Turkey, especially in Istanbul, are the center of attraction for tourists. Istanbul welcomes tourists to visit mosques and learn their ancient history. Also, don't forget to explore Istanbul with Istanbul E-pass.