Çamlıca Mosque (Grand Çamlıca Mosque), Istanbul

Is Çamlıca Mosque worth visiting?

Yes — if you want to see the scale of modern Turkey’s biggest mosque and one of the best free views of the Bosphorus from the Asian side. It is quiet compared with the old city, and the hilltop at sunset is lovely.

But be honest about the trip: it is about an hour each way from Sultanahmet, and the mosque itself takes 45 minutes. It is a 2019 building in Ottoman style, not a historic site. On a short first visit, the Blue Mosque and Süleymaniye come first.

Entrance fee, hours and dress code

The mosque is free and open every day. Visitors are asked to step out during the five daily prayers, and on Fridays the hall is for worshippers until the midday prayer ends.

Cover shoulders and knees; women need a headscarf. Shoes come off at the door of the carpeted prayer hall. Quiet photos are fine — just don’t photograph people praying.

The Museum of Islamic Civilisations in the complex is the only paid part: 400 TL for foreign visitors, closed on Mondays, tickets 9:00–17:00.

About the mosque

Büyük Çamlıca Camii — the Grand Çamlıca Mosque — took six years to build and opened in 2019: first prayers on 7 March, the official inauguration on 3 May. It was designed by two women architects, Bahar Mızrak and Hayriye Gül Totu.

The numbers are symbolic. The 72 m dome stands for the 72 nations said to live in Istanbul, its 34 m span for the city’s licence-plate code, and the four 107.1 m minarets for the Seljuk victory at Manzikert in 1071. Beneath it are a museum, an art gallery, a library, a conference hall and parking for 3,500 cars.

What to see

• The prayer hall under the 72-metre dome — the reason to come is the sheer size.
• The great chandelier, stained glass and calligraphy around the dome.
• The arcaded courtyard and all six minarets, best seen from the main gate.
• The Museum of Islamic Civilisations: 600+ objects from the 7th–19th centuries in 15 themed sections — Qur’ans, calligraphy, tiles, textiles and science.
• The Bosphorus and its bridges from the terraces around the mosque.

Çamlıca Hill and Çamlıca Tower

The Çamlıca hills are the highest on the Asian side, and the terraces around the mosque look over the Bosphorus, the bridges and the European shore — free of charge.

On neighbouring Küçük Çamlıca hill stands Çamlıca Tower, 369 m tall and opened in 2021. Its observation decks are on floors 33 and 34, about 150 m above the ground. It is paid and open seven days a week; buy on the tower’s official website or at the gate. It is ≈ 2 km from the mosque — easiest by taxi.

Çamlıca vs the Blue Mosque and Süleymaniye

Seeing just one mosque? Make it the Blue Mosque or Süleymaniye — that’s the history. Çamlıca suits a second trip or a day on the Asian side.

Istanbul's mosques compared

Every mosque in Istanbul rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

How to do it right

• Pair it with Üsküdar: the M5 metro starts right by the pier.
• From the old city, Marmaray to Üsküdar is quicker than the ferry.
• Don’t fancy the climb? A taxi from Kısıklı station is cheap and only a few minutes.
• Weekdays are calmer; at weekends families come from all over Istanbul.
• Flying into Sabiha Gökçen? Çamlıca is almost on your way into the city.

Questions