# Fatih Mosque, Istanbul > The mosque of Mehmed II, the Conqueror of Constantinople, on the old city's fourth hill — with his tomb behind it. The first mosque (1463–1470) fell in the 1766 earthquake; today's building was finished in 1771. Entry is free; visitors wait outside during prayers. It's a working neighbourhood mosque with few tourists. Allow 30 minutes. Web page: https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/fatih-mosque - City: [Istanbul](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul), Turkey - YesGo score: 52/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 30 min - Opening hours: Open daily; closed to visitors during the five daily prayers - With kids: Better without small kids - Entry: Free, no ticket - Prayer times: Only worshippers in the prayer hall during the five daily prayers - Friday: Worshippers only until the midday prayer ends - Tomb of Mehmed II: Behind the mosque by the cemetery; free, may close earlier than the mosque - Dress code: Shoulders and knees covered; headscarf for women - Shoes: Off at the prayer-hall door - Wednesday market: Çarşamba Pazarı fills the streets around the mosque all day - Getting there: Tram T1 to Aksaray or Laleli-Üniversite, then ≈ 20 min walk; or a bus from Eminönü to the Fatih stop - From Süleymaniye: ≈ 15–20 min on foot - Address: Fevzi Paşa Cd., Ali Kuşçu, Fatih - Coordinates: 41.01982, 28.94988 - Facts checked: 29.10.2026 ## Key facts - **1463–1470** — the first mosque, built for Mehmed II after the conquest of Constantinople (source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **1766 → 1771** — an earthquake brought down the dome; Mustafa III rebuilt the mosque to a new plan (source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Tomb of Mehmed II** — the sultan, who died in 1481, lies behind the mosque, beside the tomb of Gülbahar Hatun, mother of Bayezid II (source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam; English Wikipedia, “Gülbahar Hatun (mother of Bayezid II)”) - **Atik Sinan** — architect of the first mosque (source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Holy Apostles** — the mosque stands on the site of the Byzantine church where emperors were buried (source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **26 m** — across the current dome, carried on four semi-domes (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **2 minarets** — with two balconies each; the second was added in the 19th century (source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **8 medreses** — the Sahn-ı Seman, flanking the mosque — the empire's leading college (source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam; English Wikipedia) - **15th-century** — survivors: the courtyard gate, the portal wall and the lower minarets (source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam; English Wikipedia) ## Prayer times today — when visitors can't enter Prayer times follow the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet). There is no official closing window, so leave a margin: arrive 30–40 minutes after a prayer starts. Today's prayer times are on the web page: https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/fatih-mosque ## Fatih Mosque opening hours and entry fee Entry is **free** — there are no tickets for the mosque, the courtyard or the tomb. The mosque is open every day; visitors are asked to wait outside during the five daily prayers — today's times are above. On **Fridays** the midday prayer here is one of the city's biggest. The courtyard and cemetery stay open, but the prayer hall is for worshippers until the prayer ends, usually around 14:00–14:30. ## How to get to Fatih Mosque 1. Take tram T1 to Laleli-Üniversite or Aksaray. 2. Walk up Atatürk Bulvarı to the Valens Aqueduct — about 10 minutes. 3. Turn left along Fevzi Paşa Caddesi; the mosque is on your right after another 10 minutes. 4. To skip the climb, take a bus from Eminönü to the Fatih stop — check the route number in a transit app. 5. On foot from the [Süleymaniye Mosque](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/suleymaniye-mosque): 15–20 minutes past the Valens Aqueduct. ## Is Fatih Mosque worth visiting? Yes, if the conquest of Constantinople interests you or you're heading to [Balat](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/balat) and the [Chora Church](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/chora-church) — it sits right on the way. You get the Conqueror's tomb, a bright, calm prayer hall and a neighbourhood that barely sees tour groups. Honestly, the building itself is an 18th-century rebuild, not Mehmed's original. With only two or three days in Istanbul, the [Blue Mosque](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/blue-mosque) and the Süleymaniye come first. ## What to see - **The tomb of Mehmed the Conqueror** behind the mosque — a richly decorated baroque interior where people sit and pray. - The plainer tomb of Gülbahar Hatun next door. - The arcaded courtyard and fountain: the portal wall and its inscription survive from the 15th-century mosque. - The bright hall under its 26 m dome — spacious and quiet after the Blue Mosque. - The Sahn-ı Seman medreses on either side — eight still stand. - On Wednesdays, the Çarşamba market in the streets around: produce, clothes, household goods. ## A short history **Mehmed II** — Fatih, “the Conqueror” — took Constantinople in 1453. Ten years later he began his mosque on the site of the ruined Church of the Holy Apostles, burial place of Byzantine emperors. The architect was **Atik Sinan**, a century before the famous Mimar Sinan. Around it grew a whole complex: eight medreses, a hospital, a hostel, a caravanserai, a soup kitchen, a bathhouse and a market. The medreses were the empire's top college. The earthquake of **22 May 1766** collapsed the dome and wrecked the walls. Mustafa III rebuilt the mosque by 1771 on a new plan, with the dome on four semi-domes. The courtyard gate, the portal wall and the lower minarets are all that remain of the original. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered — for everyone - [ ] A headscarf (women) - [ ] Checked today's prayer times - [ ] It isn't Friday before 14:30 - [ ] A bag for your shoes - [ ] Istanbulkart topped up for the tram or bus ## Fatih Mosque vs Süleymaniye vs Blue Mosque | | Fatih | Süleymaniye | Blue Mosque | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | The Conqueror's mosque, rebuilt 1771 | Sinan's masterpiece, 1557 | Ahmed I's mosque, 1616 | | Entry | Free | Free | Free | | Highlight | Tomb of Mehmed II | Tombs of Süleyman and Hürrem, the view | Blue tiles, six minarets | | Time needed | ≈ 30 min | ≈ 45 min | 30–45 min | | Crowds | Few tourists | Moderate | Very busy | | Where | Past the aqueduct, on the way to Balat | Above the Golden Horn | Sultanahmet | Short on time? See the Blue Mosque and the Süleymaniye. Fatih is the one to add on a Balat and Chora day. ## Istanbul's mosques compared Every mosque and sacred site in Istanbul rated by YesGo. - [Hagia Sophia](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/hagia-sophia) — YesGo score 91/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 15 min · €25 - [Blue Mosque](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/blue-mosque) — YesGo score 86/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free - [Süleymaniye Mosque](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/suleymaniye-mosque) — YesGo score 70/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free - [Fatih Mosque](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/fatih-mosque) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Little Hagia Sophia](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/little-hagia-sophia) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [Üsküdar](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/uskudar) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free - [Rüstem Pasha Mosque](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/rustem-pasha-mosque) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [New Mosque](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/new-mosque) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [Çamlıca Mosque](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/camlica-mosque) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Chora Church](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/chora-church) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · €20 - [Balat and Fener](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/balat) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free - [Pierre Loti Hill](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/pierre-loti-hill) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Ortaköy Mosque](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/ortakoy-mosque) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free ## Süleymaniye to Balat in half a day Sinan's mosque, the Conqueror's mosque, the Chora mosaics and Balat's colourful streets — one walk downhill to the Golden Horn. 1. [Süleymaniye Mosque](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/suleymaniye-mosque) — YesGo score 70/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free 2. [Fatih Mosque](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/fatih-mosque) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free 3. [Chora Church](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/chora-church) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · €20 4. [Balat and Fener](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/balat) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free > **Come on a Wednesday morning** On Wednesdays the Çarşamba market — one of the city's oldest — takes over the streets around the mosque; çarşamba is Turkish for Wednesday. It's a market for locals, not souvenirs: fruit, cheese, fabric, kitchenware. Mornings are cooler and less packed. ## Not to be confused with Fatih is also the name of the whole old-city district, home to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. The Fethiye Mosque (the former Pammakaristos monastery) is a different building, nearer Balat. ## Tips - Pair it with the Süleymaniye and the Chora Church: Fatih is halfway between them. - Bring your own headscarf — loaners aren't always available. - The tomb may close before the mosque, so visit it first. - On 29 May, the anniversary of the conquest, the tomb gets busy and official ceremonies are held. - Carry on downhill to Balat, 20–25 minutes on foot. ## Questions ### What are Fatih Mosque opening hours? It is open daily. Visitors can't enter during the five daily prayers, or on Fridays until the midday prayer ends, usually around 14:00–14:30. ### Is there an entrance fee for Fatih Mosque? No. The mosque, courtyard and the tomb of Mehmed II are free. ### Who is buried at Fatih Mosque? Sultan Mehmed II, the Conqueror of Constantinople, who died in 1481. His tomb is behind the mosque, next to that of Gülbahar Hatun, mother of Bayezid II. ### How do I get to Fatih Mosque from Sultanahmet? Tram T1 to Laleli-Üniversite or Aksaray, then about 20 minutes on foot via the Valens Aqueduct. Or a bus from Eminönü to the Fatih stop. ### Is Fatih Mosque worth visiting? Yes on a Balat and Chora day, or if you're into Ottoman history. With only two days in Istanbul, prioritise the Blue Mosque and the Süleymaniye. ### What should I wear to Fatih Mosque? Cover shoulders and knees; women should cover their hair. Shoes come off at the prayer-hall door. ### When is the Fatih Wednesday market? Every Wednesday, all day, in the streets around the mosque. Go in the morning for the best of it. ### Who built Fatih Mosque? Atik Sinan built the first mosque for Mehmed II in 1463–1470. After the 1766 earthquake it was rebuilt to a new plan by 1771 under Mustafa III. ### Is Fatih Mosque the same as the Blue Mosque? No. The Blue Mosque is in Sultanahmet, inside the Fatih district; Fatih Mosque is a separate mosque about 3 km away. ## How we checked Dates, architect and history are checked against the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam and Wikipedia. The mosque has no official page with visiting hours, so hours, the Friday closure, the tomb's hours, the market and transport are marked “verifying”. Sources differ: Wikipedia names Mehmed Tahir Ağa as architect of the new mosque, while TDV names only the building supervisors, so we leave the 1771 architect out; English Wikipedia says the original mihrab survives, TDV says the qibla wall was moved, so we don't claim it. We don't repeat the story that Atik Sinan was executed for making the dome too small — there's no reliable source. Market hours vary between sources. ## Sources - TDV Encyclopedia of Islam: Fâtih Camii ve Külliyesi - English Wikipedia: Fatih Mosque, Istanbul; Russian Wikipedia: Фатих (мечеть); Wikidata Q756189 - Kültür Envanteri: Fatih Camii — location and parts of the complex - Lonely Planet and Istanbul for 91 Days — the Wednesday market - Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) — prayer-time method --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.