Ortaköy Mosque is one of the most beautiful mosques in Türkiye: a small jewel of white stone that sits right at the water's edge, with the Bosphorus Bridge (officially the 15 July Martyrs Bridge) soaring behind it. Known formally as the Büyük Mecidiye Mosque, the Grand Imperial Mosque of Sultan Abdülmecid, it stands beside the little harbour of Ortaköy, in one of Istanbul's most cosmopolitan neighbourhoods.
It was built between 1854 and 1856 on the orders of Sultan Abdülmecid I, replacing an earlier 18th-century mosque on a site that had once held the palace of Dimitrie Cantemir, the Moldavian prince and scholar. The building is admired for its architecture, but it has history too: it was designed with private apartments for the sultan, who used to come here to pray, and today it counts as one of the essential stops on any visit to Istanbul.
How to get to Ortaköy Mosque
The easiest ways to get there are by bus or by taxi:
- By bus from Taksim or Beşiktaş. Lines 40T, DT1 and DT2 run along the Bosphorus shore; get off at the Kabataş Erkek Lisesi stop, a few minutes' walk from the mosque. Routes change from time to time, so check the line number on the IETT website or in a maps app before you set off (details correct at the time of writing, 2026).
- By bus from Kabataş. Line 22 leaves from Kabataş, next to Dolmabahçe Palace, and stops at the same place. Your Istanbulkart works on all of these buses.
- By taxi. A taxi takes you straight to the mosque, but Istanbul's traffic is often heavy and the stretch between Beşiktaş and Ortaköy is notorious, so allow extra time.
Another way to enjoy it is from the water. On my Gems of Istanbul day tour we take the public Bosphorus ferry, which passes close to the mosque, and combine it with Galata Tower, the Spice Bazaar and other highlights of the city; and on the private sunset cruise you sail right past it, beneath the first bridge.
Outside and inside Ortaköy Mosque
The mosque was built of white stone in the Ottoman Neo-Baroque style that was fashionable in the mid-19th century. Its architects were Garabet Amira Balyan and his son Nigoğayos Balyan, members of the Armenian family of architects who also designed Dolmabahçe Palace a little further along the shore. The result is simply lovely: light, ornate and very different from the great classical mosques of the old city.
- The exterior. The first thing you notice is the pair of slender minarets rising above the single central dome. The walls are carved with baroque ornament, scrolls and mouldings, and its stained-glass windows scatter colour across the interior. Walk round to the seafront side: the view of the mosque with the bridge behind it is the classic Istanbul postcard.
- The interior. Inside, the walls are lined with pink marble and mosaic panels, decorated with calligraphy written by Sultan Abdülmecid himself, who was an accomplished calligrapher. The light of the Bosphorus pours in through the windows and fills the room with a soft glow that changes through the day. It's small, one room beneath a dome, and twenty minutes is enough to see it.
There's no doubt about it: Ortaköy Mosque is one of the prettiest spots in Istanbul and an essential stop on your visit.
Visiting Ortaköy Mosque: hours, tickets and what to do nearby
Opening hours
Ortaköy Mosque opens every day from early morning until late evening (04:00 to 22:00 at the time of writing, 2026). As in every working mosque, visitors are asked to wait outside during the five daily prayers, especially the longer Friday midday prayer. I recommend going in the late afternoon: the views over the Bosphorus are at their best and you can stay on until the bridge lights up at dusk.
Tickets and prices
Entry is free. It's a place of worship maintained by donations, so what you leave in the box is up to you. Dress as you would for any mosque: shoulders and knees covered, a headscarf for women, and shoes off at the door, so socks are a good idea.
What to do around Ortaköy Mosque
If you come on a Sunday, wander through the market that sets up around the square, with stalls of handicrafts and jewellery: it's the liveliest day of the week, and also the busiest. Whatever the day, order a kumpir, Ortaköy's speciality: a giant baked potato stuffed with whatever you fancy. Eat it on the waterfront looking at the bridge. Then take a stroll along the Bosphorus shore, or look for the other places of worship a few steps from the mosque: the Etz Ahayim Synagogue and the Greek Orthodox church of Ayios Fokas. Ortaköy has been a neighbourhood of three faiths for centuries, and that is a large part of its charm.
If you'd like Ortaköy on your Istanbul itinerary, or a Bosphorus afternoon built around it, tell me when you plan your tailor-made trip and I'll fit it into the route.