What it is
Completed in 1557 for Süleyman the Magnificent, it is the high point of classical Ottoman architecture: a vast, bright, acoustically extraordinary room that feels lighter than its size suggests.
The complex around it was a small city in itself — hospital, kitchens, schools, baths — and Sinan's own modest tomb sits at the corner of the garden.
The terrace behind the mosque looks down over the Golden Horn and across to Galata. It costs nothing, it is rarely crowded, and it is the best view in the old city.
Arriving by car
Reachable by car on the streets behind the university, with a set-down close to the complex — far easier than the Sultanahmet sites.
It sits about ten minutes' walk uphill from the Grand Bazaar, which makes the two a natural pairing on foot.
Worth knowing
- Closed to visitors around prayer times, like every working mosque
- The garden and terrace are open when the prayer hall is not
- Dress code applies; scarves are available at the door
Close by
Grand Bazaar · Spice Bazaar · Golden Horn · Istanbul University