The Blue Mosque: Free, Working, and Unskippable
Suggested Duration
30-45 minutes
Good to Know
Details below before you go
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No ticket, no line at the counter, and still one of the most photographed buildings on earth. Enter the Blue Mosque and more than 20,000 hand-painted Iznik tiles cover every wall, every dome, until they vanish.
Highlights
- Enter for free and look up at over 20,000 hand-painted blue Iznik tiles
- Count all six minarets, a design so bold it once led to a diplomatic row with Mecca
- Schedule your visit around prayer times, the mosque is closed to visitors briefly five times a day
Included / Excluded
- Free entrance, no ticket needed
- Loaner headscarves and robes at the entrance for visitors
- Live guide (self-guided unless booked as a guided tour)
- Access during the five daily prayer time slots
Good to Know
- Access through the separate tourist entrance on the south side of the courtyard, not the main worshippers' door
- Closes to visitors for approximately 90 minutes during each of the five daily prayer times
- Please remove shoes before entering, plastic bags are available at the door to carry them
Available languages: Turkish, English
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an entry fee for the Blue Mosque?
No, it's a living, breathing house of worship. There is no need to book or buy a ticket for general visits.
What should I wear to the Blue Mosque?
Everybody must cover shoulders and knees. Women should have a headscarf. Free loaner scarves and robes are available at the entrance if needed.
When is the Blue Mosque open to visitors?
It's closed to non-worshippers for approximately 90 minutes at each of the five daily prayer times, most notably during the midday Friday prayers.
Is it possible to see both the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia in one trip?
Of course. They are a two minute walk apart across Sultanahmet Square.
