Istanbul is full of the most incredible mosques. The Blue Mosque, Suleymaniye Mosque and now the Hagia Sophia are the best mosques in Istanbul for tourists to visit because they are incredibly impressive and very welcoming to tourists and non-muslims with people giving information and clothes to borrow to cover. They are also on the European side of Istanbul making them very easy to visit on your Istanbul itinerary.
However, if you want to visit the new mosque in Istanbul, the biggest mosque in Istanbul, and not only that but the biggest mosque in Türkiye, you’ll have to head over to the Asian side and visit Çamlıca Mosque / Camlica Camii high up on Camlica Hill! (Camii is the Turkish word for mosque by the way)
Camlica Mosque
In this post, I’m going to tell you how to get to Camlica Mosque, the best time to visit Camilla Mosque and what to expect whether you are Muslim or non-muslim because this is one of the best things to do in Istanbul, especially if you have been to Istanbul a few times and want to visit somewhere new!
Camlica Mosque Directions
Getting to Camlica Mosque isn’t that easy, but it is worth it!
First, you’ll need to get yourself over to the Asian side of Istanbul and Uskudar in particular. You can get to Uskudar from the European side of Istanbul by boat and also by the Marmaray Metro which goes under the Bosporus and is really fast!
Üsküdar to Camlica Mosque
There are 2 ways you can get from Üsküdar to Camlica Mosque using public transport, by Metro and then Taxi, or by bus.
By Metro option 1: Take the M5 Metro from Uskudar Marmaray Station 6 stops to Umraniye Station. Then look for Bus 320 from Santral and take it 10 stops to Buyuk Camlica Camii. This whole journey will take around 30 minutes depending on traffic.
By Metro Option 2: Take the M5 Metro from Uskudar Marmaray Station 4 stops to Kisikli Station. Then look for Bus 14F from Kisikli and take it 10 stops to Buyuk Camlica Camii. This whole journey will take around 35 minutes depending on traffic.
The other option is to hail a taxi from Umraniye Station or Kisikli Station which will make the journey a bit quicker and remove the bus journey.
There are 2 places the taxi can drop you off. One is on the main road right outside the back of the mosque which is where the public buses run to. The other place is on Camlica Hill which requires you to go through the park.
No option is better or worse but if you get dropped off in the park it is a bit of a walk to the mosque, whereas the back road is right next to the mosque. I’ve added a Camlica Mosque map below to help and maybe you can show the taxi driver this and point.
Be sure to have an Istanbulkart so you can use the public transport!
- For more of my Istanbul and Turkey posts to help you plan your trip see:
- A 3 Day Istanbul Itinerary! Things To Do in Istanbul in 3 Days!
- How to Travel From Istanbul to Cappadocia! A Detailed Guide!
Camlica Hill
One of the best things about Camlica Mosque is that although it’s far away, it offers a lot once you get there including Camlica Hill. If you need some time in nature to walk in a forest area, walk through a grassy park, all whilst having an incredible view of Istanbul city and the Bosporus, you can get it from up here.
About Camlica Mosque
Due to Camlica Mosque being Turkey’s biggest mosque there are some interesting facts that come along with it:
- It was completed in 2019, so it’s really new!
- It’s on a complex which also holds a museum of Islamic Art, a Library, an Art Gallery, a Cafe, so it’s big, make sure you give yourself plenty of time here if you want to visit it all.
- It has a capacity of 63,000 people to pray.
- It has 6 minarets representing the 6 beliefs in Islam.
- It has a 72m high dome representing the 72 nations living in Istanbul.
- The architectural plans which started in 2000 were led by 2 females which is very good to hear!
Camlica Mosque is open for non-muslims to visit as well as muslims and is very welcoming to all people. It is free to enter so the Camlica Mosque cost is only transport costs.
Best Time to Visit Camlica Mosque
I recommend going to Camlica Mosque in the late afternoon so you can be there for sunset because seeing the sunset this high up on the hill is so beautiful. The mosque lit up at night is also really amazing to see.
If you are Muslim, I recommend getting these for Maghrib Prayer (sunset prayer), this way you can see the mosque before prayer and take photos, head out to watch the sunset, go back in for prayer and then catch the end of the sunset and the city and mosque at night after prayer and before leaving.
If you are not a Muslim, I still recommend going at this time, this way you will hear the call to prayer from the mosque. You will be asked to leave the inside of the mosque a few minutes before sunset time as the prayer will start then but once it is finished 10-15 minutes later, you will be allowed back in.
Be sure to give yourself enough time if you want to visit the museums and walk around the park too because it’s a big complex.
What To Wear to Camlica Mosque
If you are not a Muslim, it is best to wear clothes to the mosque that cover your legs and your chest, and as a woman bring a headscarf with you if you have one, however, the mosque will provide you with clothes to cover if you do not have any, this applies to men and women as men are not allowed to wear shorts in a mosque so you may be asked to wear the clothing given too.
Prayer Time at Camlica Mosque
As a non-muslim you may be at Camlica Mosque for one of the 3 daytime prayers, if this is the case you will be asked to leave the inside of the mosque just before prayer time, if this happens then there are plenty more outside parts to see and then you can head back into the mosque, prayer is only 15 minutes or so.
If you want to avoid this, search for prayer time in Istanbul to work out what times to avoid.
For Muslims visiting Istanbul and wanting to pray, be sure to get there a bit before prayer time because the complex is big and you don’t want to get lost and miss prayer!
There is a women area to pray at the back of the main room which has plenty of space and is suitable for children too.
I hope this helps you work out how to visit Camlica Mosque, Turkey’s biggest mosque!
- For more of my Istanbul and Turkey posts to help you plan your trip see:
- A 3 Day Istanbul Itinerary! Things To Do in Istanbul in 3 Days!
- How to Travel From Istanbul to Cappadocia! A Detailed Guide!
- 32 BEST Cafes in Istanbul! Cool, Quirky, Great Coffee Cafes!
- What To Wear In Istanbul As a Woman To Feel Comfortable Exploring!
- Where to Stay in Istanbul! 10 BEST Neighbourhoods in Istanbul to Stay in!
Abdullah
Monday 6th of March 2023
Assalaamalikum.w.w JazakaAllah khairan , your post is very informative. IA I will be visiting Istanbul with my family in August 23. I have heard from someone that there is a place to eat at night where the park is, and it is extremely family friendly. Is this correct, and if it is then can you give me some Information regarding this. Thank you so much