As well as the other architectural creations in Istanbul, many of the mosques are artistically astonishing masterpieces incorporating the city’s unique mixture of cultures and styles, great number of them dating back to the early ages of Istanbul. Some of the mosques were built after the conquest of Constantinople and they often represent the luxury and glamour their commissioners seeked, and some of them are ancient buildings and temples of other religions converted into mosques by the conquerors who found them upon entering this beautiful city for the first time. Whether you are Muslim or not, Turkish or foreigner, the mosques will be open to welcome you if you decide to visit. However, there are some differences worth noting as opposed to other touristic attractions.

Firstly, the mosques won’t usually have working hours, but it wouldn’t be polite to interrupt the everyday worshipping just so you could enjoy the architecture and art of these sacred places. Keep in mind that Muslims pray five times a day, and they do their prayers in the nearest mosque whenever possible, so you should avoid prayer time when visiting. The prayer time is not constant, because it depends on the sunrise and sunset, so it changes with the passing of the season and changing of day length, which means you should get informed about it before planning your visit. Also, Fridays around noon are best to be avoided when visiting mosques, because of the group prayers that take place at that time of the week. Generally, you should postpone your visit a little bit whenever you see that the mosque is crowded by worshipers to the degree that your presence would get in their way.

As for the code of conduct in the mosques, the first thing you need to know is that you have to take off your shoes before entering. Be sure to be quiet and not draw much attention to yourself, especially if you are planning to take pictures. You should also pay attention to your clothes as to not reveal a lot of skin, which means no sleeveless shirts and no short pants. Women are required to wear headscarves, or hoodies if that seems more practical to you. Now that you know all you need, you will find below a list of some of the mosques worth mentioning.