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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 07 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Dana Facaros

Built on the orders of Sultan Ahmet I (1603–17) to rival the Hagia Sophia in grandeur and beauty – and completed in 1616, one year before his death – the Blue Mosque (aka Sultan Ahmed Mosque) is considered one of the last great mosques of the classical period, combining Byzantine elements with traditional Islamic architecture.

With six slender minarets and a beautiful dome, it dominates Istanbul’s skyline. The interior is decorated with 21,000 hand-painted (mostly blue) tiles and stunning stained-glass windows.

The whole area around the Blue Mosque was once the site of the Byzantine emperors’ Great Palace. Some of the palace’s recently discovered, lavish floor mosaics, dating from AD 450-550, are on display at the Great Palace Mosaic Museum.

Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience

Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

Take the tram to Sultanahmet; it’s a short walk from there. Dress respectfully (long trousers and shirt with sleeves for men; knee-length skirt, sleeves and a headscarf for women) and be prepared to leave your shoes at the entrance.

The Blue Mosque has similar appeal to the Suleymaniye Mosque, so many visitors opt to go inside just one of them, viewing the other mosques from the outside. The Blue Mosque tends to be less crowded.

When to do it

The mosque is open all year round, seven days a week, except during prayers (half an hour after the call to prayer). Also avoid the main services on Friday mornings and early afternoons, unless you’re a Muslim.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

 Hippodrome Guided Tours

Hippodrome Guided Tours

Istanbul

Blue Mosque is one of the best examples of the Ottoman classical era with its stunning six minarets. Why Blue Mosque is the most visited mos...

€7 | Rating 4.33 / 5 [9 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Hagia Sophia & Hippodrome Guided Tours Everyday

Hagia Sophia & Hippodrome Guided Tours Everyday

Istanbul

Discover the most important points of the historical heart of magnificent Istanbul, one of the most important cities in the world, the capit...

€17 | Rating 4.2 / 5 [20 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Hagia Sophia&Blue Mosque Skip The Line Tour

Hagia Sophia&Blue Mosque Skip The Line Tour

Istanbul

Visit > Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, and Grand Bazaar SKIP-THE-LINE Tickets, Guiding in English, Pick up service provided. This...

$34 | Rating 4.75 / 5 [8 ratings]

Website >

Tour supplied by:

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Istanbul: Blue Mosque & Hagia Sophia Small-Group Tour

Istanbul: Blue Mosque & Hagia Sophia Small-Group Tour

Istanbul

Join a small-group walking tour of the two most famous monuments in Istanbul: the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. Enjoy a scenic stroll a...

€39 | Rating 4.5 / 5 [32 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Hotel Ibrahim Pasha

Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey[0.3 miles]

This stylish, friendly and affordable boutique hotel is in sights-packed Sultanahmet, perfect for first-time visitors.

Official star rating:

Four Seasons Istanbul Sultanahmet

Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey[0.3 miles]

Superbly staffed, relaxing oasis in an unbeatable location – the luxury choice in central Sultanahmet.

Official star rating:

Yasmak Sultan Hotel

Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey[0.8 miles]

Close to Istanbul’s top sights, this friendly hotel with a spa and rooftop restaurant is a dream for first-time visitors. And good value too.

Official star rating:

Sirkeci Mansion Hotel

Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey[0.8 miles]

Convenient for the major sights and plugged into Turkish culture, this charming, historic hotel is ideal for families and first-timers.  

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Istanbul

Marmara Region, Turkey

Exotic, inexhaustible and dynamic – East meets West head-on in this mesmerising city metropolis, famed for its extraordinarily rich history, superb food and shopping, and mind-blowingly magnificent, over-sized mosques.

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Overview >

Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

Hagia Sophia

Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey[0.4 miles]

A masterpiece of Byzantine architecture, this world-renowned 6th-century marvel encapsulates the essence of the lost Ottoman Empire. Initially a cathedral, it’s now a museum as well as a functioning mosque – and a must-see in Istanbul.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free

Topkapi Palace

Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey[0.9 miles]

Built in 1459 to become the 15th and-16th century home of the Ottoman Sultans, this magnificently decadent palace is a perfectly preserved time capsule of life at the top in this most exotic of empires.

Best for ages: 8+ | £17

Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..

Mosaic of man's face
Experience

Great Palace Mosaic Museum

Istanbul , Marmara Region , Turkey[0.1 miles]

Lovely, lively 5th and 6th-century AD mosaics depicting nature, animals and people from the palace of the first Byzantine Emperors.

Best for ages: 18+ | £2

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Overview >
Exterior of white museum with trees lining the entrance
Experience

Museum of Turkish Islamic Arts

Istanbul , Marmara Region, Turkey[0.2 miles]

One of the world’s finest collections of Islamic-influenced glassware, rugs, ceramics, metal work and ethnographic items.

Best for ages: 18+ | £4

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Islamic man with traditional dress smoking shisha, drinking tea
Experience

Corlulu Ali Pasa Medresesi

Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey[0.8 miles]

Super authentic spot near the Grand Bazaar where you can smoke nargile (a water pipe or hookah) and drink tea in the courtyard of a mosque from 1709.

Best for ages: 18+ | £5

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Man and a woman looking at paintings in a modern art gallery
Experience

Istanbul Modern

Istanbul , Marmara Region, Turkey[2.8 miles]

A modern art museum housing the finest collection of modern and contemporary art in the country. The Modern’s temporary exhibits by Turkish and international artists – often organized in collaboration with MoMA (New York) and the Centre Pompidou (Paris) – are particularly exceptional.

Best for ages: 18+ | £4

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Round-ups that include this experience

101 World’s greatest historic buildings

Multiple countries

The great civilisations of the past have left a legacy of constructions that still stand out and inspire. Built without the wonders of 20th-century technology, many are also monumental feats of engineering; others offer such grace and beauty, that they’ll literally take your breath away.

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