Ortakoy Mosque (Buyuk Mecidiye Mosque)

Ortakoy Mosque is not big; five minutes is enough to walk around the prayer hall. The reason to come is its setting: a stone quay right at the water in Ortakoy, while the Bosphorus Bridge crosses above it towards Asia. After dark, when the mosque and the bridge are both lit, you get the view you have likely seen on postcards already. There is no entry fee.

Key facts

History in brief

Officially it is the Buyuk Mecidiye Mosque, named after Sultan Abdulmecid, who commissioned it. Architects from the Balyans, an Armenian family of builders who also designed Dolmabahce Palace a few kilometres along the shore, built it between 1854 and 1856. Its style blends Ottoman baroque with European neo-classical elements: tall arched windows, carved stone, one dome and two slender minarets. It was meant to look as good from the water as from the land.

Life on an exposed quay has been tough for the building. Earthquakes, storms and the Bosphorus damp damaged it more than once. In the 2010s a full restoration repaired the foundations and cleaned the stone. Opened in 1973, the Bosphorus Bridge now appears behind it in every photo.

Highlights

• Prayer hall. Big windows let in light reflected off the sea. Look for the calligraphy panels, the pink and white stone and the carved marble mihrab.
• Waterfront. Follow the quay around the mosque for the well-known views, as ferries and tankers pass close by.
• Ortakoy Square. Tea gardens, cafés and kumpir stalls. Kumpir is a baked potato loaded at the counter from a long list of toppings; the waffles come piled with fruit and chocolate.
• Back streets. In the narrow lanes behind the square, a synagogue, a church and small shops are only minutes apart.

Where to take photos

For the well-known shot of the mosque with the bridge, face the sea and use the pier on the right-hand side of the mosque, or go to the far end of the square near the ferry landing. The first hour after sunset gives the best light: the mosque lights are on while the sky stays blue. A Bosphorus cruise shows it from a completely different angle, the mosque low on the shoreline and the bridge high overhead.

When to go

On weekday mornings it is quiet. Evenings and weekends bring crowds of locals, and on summer weekend nights the square can be packed. The shore road is jammed at rush hour, so in late afternoon taxis from the Old City can need 40 minutes or more.

All Bosphorus cruises go past Ortakoy. Our three-hour Bosphorus lunch cruise serves lunch on the boat and collects you from your hotel, from US$60 a person. If you would rather have your own boat, the private yacht for up to 12 people is priced from US$375 an hour, and the whole yacht is yours. The 4-day, 3-night private Istanbul package combines a hotel, the Old City, airport transfers and a Bosphorus cruise, from US$250.

Tips

• Kumpir sellers call out loudly for business. Prices are on boards, so check them before adding lots of toppings.
• The cheapest way to get there is by bus along the shore road or by the Kabatas tram; no metro station is close.
• Take your shoes off at the door; scarves are usually provided.
• Walk on along the waterfront to Bebek (about an hour), or call at Dolmabahce Palace when heading back.

Our Istanbul destination page covers more sights along the strait.

Frequently Asked Questions