Bosphorus Yacht Cruise with Stopover on the Asian Side (Morning or Afternoon)
- Hop on a comfortable boat and experience tranquility at its finest on the calm waters of the Bosphorus Trait.
- This cruise boasts some great views, across Istanbul’s European and Asian sides.
- Check out the Galata Tower, Dolmabahçe & Çırağan Palace, and the Ortaköy Mosque at its European side.
- Notice the Beylerbeyi Palace, Anatolian Fortress, and Turkey's oldest military school at its Asian side.
- Make a quick photo stop at Küçüksu Palace, fortress of Rumelihisarı, or the Maiden’s Tower.
- Tour the beautiful palace of Küçüksu that has been open to the public as a museum since 1944.
- Click here to view the route map.
- You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Istanbul in a Day Tour: Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar, Cruise & Mor
- For first-timers in Istanbul on a time crunch, this full-day guided tour is ideal.
- Enjoy fast-track entry into all the old town’s sights, including Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, and the Blue Mosque.
- Listen intently to your tour guide who will fill you in on details about the visited attractions
- Take a short lunch break at a lovely local restaurant .
- End your trip on a high note by hopping aboard a luxury yacht for a sunset cruise.
- Channel through the waters and notice the Dolmabahçe palace, the Çamlıca Mosque, and Maiden's Tower pass along the route.
- Savor snacks like baklava and fresh seasonal fruits along with soft drinks on the yacht.
- You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Visiting Blue Mosque in Istanbul | Book Blue Mosque Tickets
Adorning the beautiful skylines of Istanbul for decades, is the Sultanahmet mosque, commonly known as Blue mosque, a perfect example of Ottoman architecture. Both a place of worship and a major tourist destination, the Blue Mosque in Istanbul attracts millions of tourists yearly. Its six minarets and cascading grey domes, which face the Hippodrome in the heart of Old Istanbul, are two of the building's finest recognisable features, and the interior is equally phenomenal.
Visit this mosque, which can host 10,000 people at once and is the only one in Istanbul with six minarets, both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist attraction. Read on to know more about the timings, attractions, highlights and ticket options available for your visit to the mosque.
Why Visit the Blue Mosque in Istanbul?
- Explore the interiors of the mosque, where most of the surfaces are covered in extravagantly detailed tiles and murals, particularly the soaring dome ceilings.
- Built-in 1609, the Blue Mosque is regarded as one of the last significant mosques of the Ottoman Empire's Classic Period.
- In contrast to other mosques, which only have two or four minarets, the Blue Mosque has six, making it distinct from other mosques.
- The interiors feature hand-painted blue tiles and a stunning fusion of the Turkish (Ottoman) empire, conventional Islamic architecture, and Byzantine empire.
- This mosque's interiors are highlighted by the exquisitely carved and sculpted marble Mihrab, which has a stalactite niche and two inscriptive panels above it.
Your Blue Mosque Istanbul Tickets Explained
Blue Mosque Combo Tour Tickets
- Make the most of your trip to Istanbul, as you experience the best sights in town, like the Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, and the Blue Mosque.
- With your various options of Istanbul combo tour tickets, you can get fast-track entry into the city’s most-visited attractions, as you get to choose from either the full-day tours, the Istanbul city pass or the yacht cruise, according to your itinerary.
- Marvel at the fantastic Ottoman architecture of the Blue Mosque, as you look at the intricate interiors of the mosque reflecting the history and culture of Istanbul.
- Learn about Sultan Ahmed I of the Ottoman Empire, after whom the Mosque was named, and more interesting facts during the guided tour.
- Relish the authentic snacks on the yacht like baklava and the fresh seasonal fruits along with soft drinks after a tiring day.
What is the Best Way To Book Blue Mosque Tickets? Book Online
As the Blue Mosque is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Istanbul, it can become difficult to book tickets without prior arrangements. Book your tickets online and enjoy a hassle-free experience while on your trip.
- Convenience: Leave behind the tiresome long lines with the fast-track tickets that make you jazz past the queues.
- Advance Reservations: With the online booking process, you can secure your trip easily by purchasing your tour slots in advance.
- Great Discounts: Experience the intricate architecture of the Blue Mosque at fascinatingly low prices, as online booking gives you excellent discounts.
Blue Mosque Istanbul Highlights
The Ceiling
The Blue Mosque has an incredible ceiling. It is a favourite among those who love design, architecture, and travel thanks to the blue tiles and exquisite ceiling design. Over 20,000 tiles, all of which were created under the direction of the Iznik master potter, adorn the mosque's top levels and its ceiling.
The Royal Kiosk
At the southeast corner of the mosque, you will find the royal kiosk. It consists of a platform, a loggia, and two compact retreat rooms. It provides an entrance to the royal loge in the mosque's southeast upper gallery. It has its own mihrab, which once included a jade rose and gilt decorations as well as 100 Qurans on an inlaid and gilded lectern.
Stain Glass Windows
The mosque's upper levels are lined with more than 200 stained glass windows, each of which lets in a massive amount of natural light along with chandeliers. The sultan received the tinted glass for the windows as a present from the Signoria of Venice. Ostrich eggs, that were intended to ward off spiders within the mosque and prevent cobwebs are seen on the chandeliers.
The Great Tablets
The enormous tablets on the walls of Blue Mosque are etched with Quranic verses and the names of the caliphs. Despite numerous restorations, they were originally created by the renowned Diyarbakir calligrapher Seyyid Kasim Gubari in the 17th century.
The Forecourt
With the exception of adding turrets to the corner domes, the façade of the large forecourt was constructed in the same way as the facade of the Süleymaniye Mosque. A continuous vaulted arcade surrounds the court, which is nearly the same size as the mosque (Revak). Both sides of it have restrooms.
Minarets
Two mosques in Turkey have six minarets each, the first of which is the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. At the corners of the Blue Mosque, four of these minarets are visible. While the two other minarets at the end of the forecourt only have two balconies each, these fluted, pencil-shaped minarets each have three (known as "erefe"), stalactite corbels.
Plan Your Visit To Blue Mosque in Istanbul
- Timings: 9 AM to 7 PM.
- Last Entry: One hour before the dusk.
- Closed On: Closed at the prayer times.
- Best Time To Visit: Between 9:30 and 11:30 in the morning.
Address: Sultan Ahmet, Atmeydanı Cd. No:7, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey
- By Metro: Metro lines M1A, and M2 stops near the mosque.
Nearest Stop: Vezneciler, 4.5 km from the mosque. - By Train: You can take MARMARAY (HALKALI - GEBZE) train.
Nearest Stop: Sirkeci Train Station, just 1.6 km far from the mosque. - By Bus: BN1 bus route.
Nearest Stop: Sultanahmet stop, just 6 min walk from the mosque. - By Car: Distance From Airport: 47 km from Sabiha Gokcen International Airport.
Car Parking: In the Sultanahmet and Sirkeci regions, there are a lot of private parking lots.
- You shall cover your shoulders and wear long pants or skirts
- Women must wear head coverings
- Avoid using flash photography, keep your voice down, and show respect for those who are praying.
- During the Call to Prayer, the mosque is closed to visitors (5 times a day sunrise to sunset)
- If you hear singing around the city while listening to the call over the loudspeaker, you should avoid going to the mosque at this time.
- Hagia Sophia: It is one of Istanbul's most important cultural landmarks and a reminder of Byzantine architecture. Hagia Sophia had served as a mosque before becoming a museum, and it has a sizable collection of ancient marble pillars, coverings, and mosaics that are a reminder of a regal past.
- Bosphorus: The Bosphorus, also known as Bogazici (the Strait) in Turkish, is one of the world's most important waterways. It connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara along with the Dardanelles Strait (near Canakkale) and divides Europe from Asia.
- The Topkapi Palace Museum: The Topkapi Palace Museum houses a sizable collection of books and manuscripts in its library in addition to displaying the imperial collections of the Ottoman Empire. Around three million people visit the museum each year.
- The Basilica Cistern: The Basilica Cistern, which is one of the top tourist destinations in contemporary Istanbul, is the world's largest cistern of Byzantine Constantinople. It is the sole survivor of a significant group of buildings that once stood nearby in Late Antique Constantinople.
Visitor Tips
- The rules for women about attire apply to men too. It is specifically prohibited for them to wear shorts and t-shirts to the mosque.
- You must remove your shoes before entering Istanbul's Blue Mosque; you can either leave them at the door or take them with you and put them in a bag.
- Only worshipers are permitted within the halls of mosques; tourists are only allowed to roam through the mosques' edges.
- Talking too loudly, laughing, or interfering with worshipers' prayers are all prohibited in the space.
- In Turkey, only during the breaks between prayers are visitors permitted to enter mosques.
All Your Questions About Blue Mosque Tickets Answered
A. The Blue Mosque Tickets can be purchased online in advance.
A. Yes. Blue Mosque tickets are available online.
A. The Blue mosque conducted tour options are available from €99.
A. Yes. If you book the Blue Mosque tickets online, you may avail of discounts and deals on your tickets.
A. The Blue Mosque in Istanbul, which serves as a place of worship and a popular tourist attraction, is an iconic example of Ottoman architecture.
A. Though entry to the mosque is free, reserving your tickets can help you explore the mosque in peace.
A. Blue mosque is located at Sultan Ahmet, Istanbul, Turkey.
A. One of only five mosques in Turkey with six minarets, the Blue Mosque's design is the result of two centuries of Ottoman mosque building. More than 20,000 individually produced ceramic tiles in the Iznik style, including around fifty different tulip motifs, line the interiors of the mosque.
A. You can reach the mosque by bus, train, or even by metro or car.
A. The Blue Mosque is open daily from 9 am to 7 pm. It will remain closed for tourists during prayer time every day.
A. Yes. Blue Mosque offers special wheelchair ramps for people with disabilities.
A. Yes. You can click the pictures of the mosque, however, without using the flash and respecting the privacy of the devotees.
A. Yes. Blue Mosque is a UNESCO-listed architectural marvel that is unique for several reasons. You can also lookup close at the minarets, stained glass windows, etc., which makes the mosque a wonder.