Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque)

• During praying hours the mosque is closed to tourists, so check praying hours beforehand (here). The start of each prayer session depends on the sun and therefore commences on different dates each year. The mosque opens to visitors roughly 30 minutes after the first prayer session and closes one hour before sunset.

• The worst day to visit the mosque is Friday: there are more worshipers coming to pray, the most important prayer takes place at noon, it has a longer duration than the others. The mosque is closed on Friday mornings, so after lunch, when the doors open to tourists, the queue is usually very long.

• The Blue Mosque is generally more crowded in the afternoon, try to plan your visit for the morning. The best time to visit is between sunrise and the noon praying hours.

• The average waiting time to enter the Mosque is 30 minutes.

• Don’t forget the dress code: women should enter the Mosque with their heads covered. Naked ankles or shoulders are prohibited for both men and women.

• You’ll need to take off your shoes at the entrance.

• Taking photos with flash is forbidden inside the Mosque.

• The entrance is free, but you can leave a donation.

This page will give you many tips to avoid crowds in Istanbul as well as crowd schedules for top tourist attractions in order to plan your visits.