Ortaköy Mosque: the mosque beneath the Bosphorus Bridge

Updated on October 1, 2026

Ortaköy Mosque, officially the Büyük Mecidiye Camii, stands at the water's edge on the Ortaköy pier square, in the Beşiktaş district. Sultan Abdülmecid I had it built around 1854-1856 by the architects Garabet and Nigoğayos Balyan, who also designed the nearby [Dolmabahçe Palace](/fr/attractions/palais-de-dolmabahce). Its neo-Baroque outline in front of the Bosphorus Bridge is one of the most photographed views in Istanbul. Entry is free outside prayer times. Allow 20 to 30 minutes for the mosque, then an hour to stroll along the waterfront and the lanes of Ortaköy.

Highlights

The mosque and the bridge

From the pier square, the mosque stands out against the Bosphorus Bridge, now called the 15 July Martyrs Bridge. It is the most famous view of the city. It works just as well from the water, on a [Bosphorus cruise](/fr/attractions/croisiere-sur-le-bosphore).

The facades and minarets

The two stone minarets and the richly carved decoration blend Ottoman tradition with 19th-century European styles. Large windows pierce the facades and fill the prayer hall with light reflected off the Bosphorus.

The prayer hall

Under a single dome, the mihrab and the minbar are made of marble and porphyry. Several calligraphy panels are by Sultan Abdülmecid himself, who was a calligrapher. The mosque reopened in 2014 after a three-year restoration.

The Ortaköy waterfront

Around the mosque, the former fishing village lines the pier square with cafés, restaurants and street stalls. Kumpir, a baked potato with toppings, is the local speciality.

Infos pratiques

Tips

Entry is free. The mosque is an active place of worship: visits stop during the five daily prayers, whose times change with the seasons, and at midday on Fridays. Modest dress is required: shoulders and knees covered for everyone, hair covered for women, shoes removed at the entrance. Bring your own headscarf. Keep your voice down and do not photograph people at prayer.

How to get there

Ortaköy pier square (Ortaköy İskele Meydanı), Beşiktaş, Istanbul. From Kabataş, the terminus of tram line T1, take bus 25E to the Ortaköy stop. On foot, allow about 25 minutes from the Beşiktaş ferry pier along the Bosphorus. [Rumeli Hisarı](/fr/attractions/forteresse-rumeli-hisari) fortress is on the same bus line, further north.