Visiting mosques in Istanbul: what to wear and how to behave

Visiting a mosque is one of the highlights of a trip to Istanbul, and visitors are welcome. A little preparation makes it easy: pack a light scarf, wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, and check the visiting times before you leave your hotel.

The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia face each other across the same square in Sultanahmet, but each has its own rules for visitors. Plan them separately, even if you’re seeing both on the same morning.

Timing your visit around prayer times

Mosques are places of worship first. At the five daily prayers, sightseeing visits pause for a while and then start again. Prayer times change through the year, so check the day’s times before you go. The Diyanet, Türkiye’s Presidency of Religious Affairs, publishes the times for Istanbul on its website, and many apps show them too.

For an easier visit, aim for mid-morning on a day other than Friday. Fridays are different because of the midday congregational prayer, called cuma namazı:

• The Blue Mosque is closed to sightseeing visitors during Friday midday prayer and reopens in the early afternoon.
• Hagia Sophia closes its visitor route for a period before and after the Friday midday prayer.

If Friday is your only day in Sultanahmet, start with the Hippodrome or the Basilica Cistern and visit the mosques once they’ve reopened.

A sign saying a mosque is “open” may refer to worship rather than sightseeing. If you’re unsure, ask staff Ziyaret ne zaman başlıyor? (“When does visiting start?”). Leave some slack in your plans, because a queue and a prayer pause together can add time.

What to wear

Everyone should cover their shoulders and knees. Loose trousers or a long skirt work well if you’re visiting several mosques in one day. Women should also cover their hair, so bring a scarf large enough to do that. Put it on before you reach the entrance.

• In summer: wear something light that still covers you. A thin long-sleeved shirt and loose trousers are comfortable for walking.
• Your scarf: choose one that stays in place when you move. Tucking it in at the front keeps your hands free.
• Your shoes: wear a pair that’s easy to slip off and on. You’ll be walking on carpet in your socks.

At the Blue Mosque, staff lend coverings to visitors who need them. I’d still bring my own scarf, because you can go straight into the queue, and smaller mosques usually have nothing to lend.

Shoes and behaviour inside

You always take your shoes off before stepping onto the carpeted prayer area. At the Blue Mosque, visitors are given a plastic bag and carry their shoes with them. At smaller mosques, look for shoe racks or follow what others do, and step to one side to take your shoes off so you don’t block the door.

Inside, switch your phone to silent and speak quietly. Stay in the visitor area if one is marked, and give people who are praying plenty of space. Don’t walk directly in front of someone who is praying; go around them. If you’re with children, explain beforehand that this is a place to walk slowly and talk softly.

Photos of the architecture are usually fine, but turn off the flash. Don’t photograph people who are praying, and ask before photographing anyone else. If a sign says no photos, or a staff member asks you to put your phone away, follow their instructions.

Once you’re inside the Blue Mosque, step away from the door so others can pass, then look up. The main dome rests on four half-domes, and the walls are covered in blue İznik tiles, which give the mosque its English name.

How visiting works at the two famous mosques

The Blue Mosque

In Turkish the Blue Mosque is Sultanahmet Camii. Entry is free and you don’t need a ticket. Follow the signs or staff directions to the visitor entrance, which is separate from the entrance used by worshippers. There may be a queue at busy times, but it usually moves steadily.

Visiting hours change with the seasons and pause at each prayer time, so check the day’s schedule rather than planning to arrive just before closing.

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia, Ayasofya in Turkish, is a working mosque, and worshippers enter the ground-floor prayer hall free of charge. Sightseeing visitors use a separate ticketed route, which takes you to the upper gallery. From there you look down into the main hall and see the famous Byzantine mosaics up close.

The visitor entrance is on the south side, opposite the Fountain of Ahmed III, near the outer gate of Topkapı Palace. The main entrance facing Sultanahmet Square is for worshippers. Check the current ticket price and any prayer-time or restoration notices before you go, and follow the staff’s instructions on the route.

My Old City walk covers Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque together with the Hippodrome and the Basilica Cistern, and I plan the order around the day’s prayer times. If you’re visiting on your own and a mosque is closed for prayer, there’s always something nearby to see while you wait. For more ideas around Sultanahmet, see What to Do in İstanbul.

Visiting a neighbourhood mosque

Istanbul has thousands of mosques, and many smaller ones are just as beautiful. You may find fewer signs and no visitor queue. If you can’t tell whether visitors are welcome at that moment, ask Ziyaret edebilir miyim? (“May I visit?”). A gesture towards the shoe rack is often all the answer you need.

The same habits apply everywhere: wear suitable clothing, take your shoes off at the door, and give people who have come to pray plenty of room. If you’re asked to come back later, it’s usually because prayer is about to start. Take a tea break nearby and try again when it’s quieter.

My tip

Get dressed for the visit before you leave your hotel and check each mosque’s visiting times separately. On a Friday, start your morning at the Hippodrome or the cistern and leave the mosques for the afternoon. Once you’re inside, look up, take your time, and give the people around you room to pray.