Visiting Mosques in Istanbul

If you visit Istanbul, I highly recommend exploring some of the city's beautiful and historic mosques. A little preplanning is helpful, and follow my tips!

PRAYER TIME: Tourists cannot visit mosques during prayer time. The call to pray happens five times daily, and the times change throughout the year based on the sun's position. When in Istanbul, I use this Prayer Time Site to help plan my visits.

DRESS CODE: To enter any mosque, you must dress modestly. Your shoulders and knees must be covered, and ladies' heads must be covered with a scarf.

BRING YOUR OWN SCARF: Women must cover their heads to enter. While many mosques offer loaner scarves, you must buy one if you don't have your own at the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. But bring your own if you can; the purchased scarves are made from papery plastic.

REMOVE YOUR SHOES: You must remove your shoes before entering the mosque and stepping on the carpet. Inside are shelves where you can store your footwear while walking around. But don't forget where you put them!