Blue Mosque visitor guide
The Blue Mosque is Istanbul’s great seventeenth-century mosque, named for the blue tiles inside. Entry is free. Here is when visitors can enter and what to know.
Photo: Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Ticket options compared
What each kind of ticket lets you see, and how the options differ in price and cancellation terms.
| Option | What’s included | Good for | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free entry | Walk in through the visitor entrance outside prayer times. No ticket is needed. | A flexible visit on a budget | Book now |
| Guided tour | A guide explains the mosque and its tiles, usually on a walking tour with Hagia Sophia and the Hippodrome. | Understanding what you are looking at | Book now |
| Entry with audio guide | An audio guide to the mosque and the square that you follow on your own phone. | Context without joining a group | Book now |
Check live prices
Open each option to see the price and the cancellation terms for your date.
About the Blue Mosque
The mosque was built between 1609 and 1617 for Sultan Ahmed I, facing Hagia Sophia across the square. It has six minarets, which was unusual and much discussed at the time.
Inside, the walls and galleries are covered with more than twenty thousand hand-painted İznik tiles, mostly in shades of blue, lit by rows of stained-glass windows.
It is still one of the city’s main working mosques, so the visitor route keeps to one part of the prayer hall.
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Good to know
Visiting hoursOpen to visitors daily between the prayers. It closes to visitors at each prayer time and for longer around Friday midday.
How long to allowAbout half an hour inside, plus the wait at the visitor entrance.
Dress codeCover shoulders and knees, and women cover their hair. Scarves and wraps are lent at the entrance. Shoes come off and are carried in a bag.
EntrancesVisitors enter on the side facing the Hippodrome. Follow the signs for the visitor entrance.
Nearby
Hagia Sophia
The 6th-century domed church that became a mosque. Visitors enter the upper gallery on a ticket.
Basilica Cistern
An underground Byzantine reservoir of columns and water, opposite Hagia Sophia.
Hippodrome
The long square beside the mosque, once a chariot track, with an Egyptian obelisk still standing. Free.
Arasta Bazaar
A small, calm row of shops behind the mosque, good for carpets and ceramics.
Also in Istanbul
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Blue Mosque free?
Yes. Entry is free for everyone. You pay only if you choose a guided tour or an audio guide.
When is it closed to visitors?
During each of the five daily prayers, and for a longer period around the Friday midday prayer.
What should women wear?
Hair, shoulders and knees covered. If you do not have a scarf, one is lent at the entrance.
Do I need to book ahead?
No. There is nothing to book for the mosque itself.