Süleymaniye Mosque

Süleymaniye Camii

Sinan's masterpiece: fewer crowds and a free Golden Horn view

⚠ Closed to visitors at prayer times

Hours

Open to visitors outside prayer times (roughly morning to evening); exact times follow the day's prayer schedule

Tickets

Free

Address

On the hilltop north of the Grand Bazaar; a 15-minute uphill walk through lanes from the Spice Bazaar

Mimar Sinan built it for Suleiman the Magnificent in the 1550s. It is less ornate than the Blue Mosque, but the interior under one great dome is calm and bright, and many visitors call it their favourite mosque. Fewer tourists means you can sit on the carpet for a long while without feeling in the way. The real treasure is the back terrace: over the wall lie the Golden Horn, Galata Tower and the Bosphorus, and at dusk people line the wall to watch the sunset.