The Blue Mosque: Free, Working, and Impossible to Skip
Suggested Duration
30-45 minutes
Good to Know
Details below before you go
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No ticket, no queue at the counter, and still one of the most photographed buildings on earth. Step inside the Blue Mosque and every wall, every dome, disappears under more than 20,000 hand-painted Iznik tiles.
Highlights
- Step inside for free and look up at over 20,000 hand-painted blue Iznik tiles
- Count all six minarets, a design so bold it once caused a diplomatic dispute with Mecca
- Time your visit around prayer times, the mosque briefly closes to visitors five times a day
Included / Excluded
- Free entry, no ticket required
- Loaner headscarves and robes at the visitor entrance
- Live guide (self-guided unless booked as a guided tour)
- Access during the five daily prayer windows
Good to Know
- Use the separate tourist entrance, not the main worshippers' door, on the courtyard's south side
- Closes to visitors for about 90 minutes around each of the five daily prayer times
- Remove shoes before entering, plastic bags are provided at the door to carry them
Available languages: Turkish, English
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to pay to enter the Blue Mosque?
No, it's a free, active place of worship. There is no ticket and no booking required for general visits.
What should I wear to visit the Blue Mosque?
Shoulders and knees covered for everyone, and women should bring a headscarf. Free loaner scarves and robes are available at the entrance if needed.
When is the Blue Mosque closed to visitors?
It closes to non-worshippers for about 90 minutes around each of the five daily prayer times, most noticeably around midday Friday prayers.
Can I combine the Blue Mosque with Hagia Sophia in one visit?
Easily. They face each other across Sultanahmet Square, a two minute walk apart.
