Set on Büyük Çamlıca hill in the Üsküdar district, on the Asian side, the Grand Çamlıca Mosque (Büyük Çamlıca Camii) is the largest mosque in Turkey. The work of two architects, Bahar Mızrak and Hayriye Gül Totu, whose design won second prize in the competition, it draws on classical Ottoman architecture and on Sinan. Completed in March 2019 and inaugurated on 3 May 2019, it can hold 63,000 worshippers. It has six minarets (four of 107.1 m, two of 90 m) and a central dome 72 m high. Entry is free for visitors, outside prayer times. Allow an hour on site. The complex also includes a museum, an art gallery, a library, a conference hall and a large underground car park. The visit combines with the Çamlıca Tower on the neighbouring hill.
Highlights
The six minarets
From a distance, the mosque is recognisable by its six minarets standing on either side of the dome, a number found in Istanbul only at the Blue Mosque. It dominates the skyline of the Asian shore.
The mosque lit up
In the evening, the façades and minarets are floodlit; the large esplanade in front of the mosque is then a good place to see it stand out against the deep blue sky.
The prayer hall
Designed for tens of thousands of worshippers, it is on a scale found nowhere else in Turkey. Its style echoes the great imperial mosques; for a comparison, see the Süleymaniye Mosque.
The museum and the art gallery
The complex houses a museum and a 3,500 m² art gallery, as well as a library: ask on site what is open, as access and hours are not clearly published.
Infos pratiques
Tips
The visit is free. Dress code: shoulders and knees covered for everyone, hair covered for women; staff lend a shawl to anyone who needs one. Take your shoes off at the entrance and bring a bag for them. The general rules are set out in our guide to visiting a mosque in Istanbul. The mosque is a working place of worship: visits take place outside the five daily prayers, and during the main Friday midday prayer the mosque is reserved for worshippers. Prayer times change every day: check the website of the Presidency of Religious Affairs (diyanet.gov.tr). Keep quiet in the hall and do not photograph people at prayer.
How to get there
Üsküdar, Istanbul, on Büyük Çamlıca hill. From Sultanahmet, the simplest route is the ferry or Marmaray to Üsküdar, then a bus or taxi up the hill; check the line on a transport app, as bus routes change. Our guide to getting around Istanbul explains the Istanbulkart.
Opening hours
Our guides that feature it
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