Planning a trip to Istanbul can be overwhelming. Deciding on which areas to visit and must-see sites to see can be a challenge in this incredibly vast and happening city. Of course, there is almost no area in Istanbul that you can visit without passing by one of its many beautiful mosques. While every mosque looks tempting to visit, you want to make sure you utilize your time in the city wisely. Istanbul has SO much to offer and time management in the city is key. So which of Istanbul’s mosques are worth a spot on your itinerary? From research and our visit to city, here is our (short) list of recommendations.
1. Hagia Sophia
You simply can’t come to Istanbul and not visit the Hagia Sophia. It would be like visiting Rome and skipping the Colosseum! The mosque is one of history’s most significant architectural achievements and has a long and fascinating history. To top it off, the inside of the mosque is majestic, beautiful, and well worth your time. To get the most out of your visit to the Hagia Sophia, I recommend reading up on its history as well as learning about some of its architectural features. Alternatively, you could book a guided tour during your visit (we opted out of this as we had done extensive research on the mosque beforehand).
.
2. Suleymaniye Mosque
Sadly, due to time constraints on our trip, we never got around to visiting this mosque, but from our research, this mosque is said to be one of Istanbul’s most beautiful. Some people claim this is the only other mosque in the city that can match the inner beauty and architectural complexity of the Hagia Sophia. If you have time, this mosque is worth a visit, if for nothing else, to compare it to the great Hagia Sophia- A mosque that many have tried to replicate in beauty and stature.
What About the Blue Mosque?
You may also be wondering why the Blue Mosque was left off this list. The blue mosque, located right across the Hagia Sophia, is only worth visiting if you either have ample time during your Istanbul stay (or if there is no line). While the exterior is beautiful, the interior was underwhelming compared to the Hagia Sophia and not worth it if there is a long line to enter. This mosque, in our opinion, is better seen from a rooftop or aerial view where you can marvel at its beautiful blue color and grand dome.
Summary
This shortlist of recommendations is by no means a knock on the incredible array of mosques that Istanbul has to offer. However, from local recommendations and our prior travel experiences, allotting too much time to going inside a city’s main architectural attractions tends to result in missed opportunities to experience more cultural aspects of a city. Typically, apart from the best-of-the-best, most architectural “must-see” sites, can be checked off or satisfied by simply viewing them from the exterior or at a distance (we did the same with the Galata Tower).
A Balat tour guide that we met explained to us how he used to be a guide for all the popular mosques but switched to tours of Balat ( a residential area) because he felt it better highlighted the true flavor of the city that he grew up in. After using one of our three precious days in the city to take his tour (and missing out on seeing more mosques as a result), we couldn’t agree more. There was something special about seeing the city from a local vantage point that connected us to the city like we wouldn’t have otherwise.
All this being said, If you have endless time or have a deep passion for architecture, you certainly could expand this list to see many more mosques than what we recommend. The city truly has some of the most beautiful mosques in the world. But, in our opinion, if you are coming to Istanbul to experience the magic of the city, the Hagia Sophia, and the Sulaymaniyah Mosques (if you have time), along with the exterior of the blue mosque will satisfy your apatite to see the mosques of Istanbul while leaving you with ample time to explore everything else that the has to offer.
