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| Official name | Süleymaniye Camii, the mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent |
| Address and access | Prof. Sıddık Sami Onar Cd. No:1, 34116 Fatih; metro M2, Vezneciler station, 10 minutes on foot; tram T1, Beyazıt-Kapalıçarşı stop, 12 minutes |
| Entry | Free, no ticket or booking, tombs included |
| Visiting hours | About 09:00 to 18:00 every day (no official timetable published); in winter the evening prayer ends the visit around 17:30 |
| Closures | During the daytime prayers (midday, afternoon, and evening in winter), from 30 minutes before the call to the end of the prayer; on Fridays, no visits before about 14:30 |
| Time needed | 45 minutes for the mosque, 1h30 with the tombs and the terrace |
| Dress code | Shoulders and knees covered, hair covered for women, shoes off |
| Who it suits | Everyone, believer or not; steps at the entrance to the prayer hall |
The Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul (Süleymaniye Camii) is free to visit every day, from about 09:00 to 18:00, except during daytime prayers and on Friday before 14:30. Allow 45 minutes, dress modestly, and keep another half hour for the tombs of Suleiman and Roxelana behind the mosque.
What are the opening times of the Süleymaniye Mosque?
Plan on visiting between about 09:00 and 18:00, every day. No authority publishes an official timetable for Süleymaniye, unlike the Blue Mosque: third-party sites quote 08:30 to 18:45, 09:00 to 18:00, or even 08:30 to 20:30. On the ground, prayers set the rhythm, not a closing time.
The prayer hall closes to visitors about 30 minutes before each call to prayer and reopens when the prayer ends. On 4 November 2026 the Diyanet calendar gave these times for Istanbul: midday (öğle) 12:53, afternoon (ikindi) 15:38, evening (akşam) 18:04. In winter the evening prayer falls before 18:00 (17:43 on 15 December), so aim to be inside before 17:00.
On Fridays the main midday prayer fills the mosque all morning and into the early afternoon. Visitors are let in from about 14:30, and the afternoon prayer still interrupts the visit around 15:00 in autumn. If Friday is your only day, arrive at about 16:00.
To sleep within 15 minutes of the hill, I recommend Sirkeci, at the foot of the Spice Bazaar: see my favourite hotels in Sirkeci.
Is the Süleymaniye Mosque free to enter?
Yes. Entry is free for everyone, worshippers and visitors alike, with no ticket and no booking. The tombs of Suleiman and Roxelana in the garden are free too. A donation box sits by the exit, with no obligation. A Museum Pass or an Istanbul Tourist Pass will not save you anything here: there is nothing to pay.
What you can pay for is a guided visit. Any “ticket” sold for Süleymaniye is really an accompanied tour, useful to understand Sinan’s work, pointless if you only want to walk in.
How do I plan a visit from the UK?
From London, flights to Istanbul take about 4 hours (check by airline; regional UK airports also have services). Turkey is on UTC+3 all year, so it is 3 hours ahead of the UK in winter and 2 hours ahead during British Summer Time.
British passport holders need no visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180, and the passport should be valid for at least 150 days after arrival, according to the FCDO page updated on 27 October 2026. Turkish sockets are types C and F, so bring a UK adapter. Mobile roaming is not free for UK networks in Turkey, which is why I use an eSIM (see below).
Local tip: if your trip is built around the May bank holidays (3 and 31 May 2027), note that Kurban Bayramı runs from 16 to 19 May 2027, with the eve on 15 May. Süleymaniye fills with worshippers and families on those days: visit on another day, or after the afternoon prayer.
How do I get to the Süleymaniye Mosque?
The M2 metro is the simplest: get off at Vezneciler, take the University exit, then walk 10 minutes on the flat along Süleymaniye Street. The T1 tram works too (Beyazıt-Kapalıçarşı stop, 12 minutes on foot across the university campus). Each journey costs ₺46.20 (about £0.69) with the İstanbulkart, the fare in force since 20 July 2026.
- From Sultanahmet: T1 towards Bağcılar for two stops, or a 25-minute walk through the Grand Bazaar.
- From Taksim: M2 towards Yenikapı to Vezneciler, 15 minutes with no change.
- From Kadıköy: ferry to Eminönü (₺65.21, about £0.97), then a 15 to 20 minute climb through the lanes behind the Spice Bazaar.
- By taxi: ₺71.94 pick-up charge, then ₺47.92 per kilometre, with a minimum fare of ₺230 (about £3.43). From Taksim, expect ₺350 to ₺450 (about £5 to £7).
No transport card yet? My guide to buying and topping up the İstanbulkart covers the machines and fares. A contactless bank card also works at the gates, charged at the single-ticket price (usually ₺65).
How do I get back down from Süleymaniye without being ripped off by a taxi?
At the foot of the hill, on the Eminönü side, taxis wait for tired walkers. Back home you trust the meter without thinking; here, the meter is exactly what you have to watch.
One drizzly evening around 17:20, at the Vezneciler end of the hill, a driver told me the meter was “broken” and quoted ₺900 to Taksim. The tariff would have given about ₺400.
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The price of an Uber ride is shown before the ride. Trip and driver recorded in the app, card payment, zero haggling.
Kevin’s tip: I open the app and watch the route draw on the map before I wave at anything; if the price on screen is not the one I accepted, I do not get in.
Internet on the spot for prayer times, Maps and Uber
The lanes around the mosque confuse Google Maps on the slopes, and the next prayer time changes the whole plan. Roaming charges from a UK network are a poor way to find out.
Checking the next ezan on the Diyanet site, translating a sign in the old smokers’ market, sharing your live location with a friend waiting on the terrace: all of it runs on your phone.
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Kevin’s tip: I install the eSIM on home Wi-Fi the night before the flight and switch it on when I land; Airalo is the cheapest provider I have found, on an eSIM-compatible phone.
What should I wear to visit the Süleymaniye Mosque?
Shoulders and knees covered for everyone, hair covered for women. No shorts, for men or women. Shoes come off before the carpet: plastic bags are provided at the visitors’ entrance, on the courtyard side. Inside, keep your voice down, stay in the visitors’ area and do not photograph worshippers.
Scarves and long skirts are sometimes lent at the door, but not always in sufficient numbers in the afternoon. Flash is frowned upon, and so are tripods. I wear trainers that slip on without laces: between the mosque and the two tombs you can take your shoes off up to three times in an hour.
What is there to see inside the Süleymaniye Mosque?
The volume first. The dome rises 53 metres above the floor and measures 26.5 metres across, carried by four massive piers and two half-domes on the model of Hagia Sophia. Mimar Sinan built it from 1550 to 1557 for Suleiman the Magnificent. The decoration is restrained: little tilework, a lot of pale stone, and light coming in from everywhere.
- The stained glass of the qibla wall, attributed to the glassmaker Sarhoş İbrahim: the morning sun hits it head-on.
- The white marble mihrab and minbar, framed by a few İznik panels, the only ones in the hall.
- The low chandeliers, hung at head height: originally oil lamps, they give you the scale of the dome.
- The room above the entrance: according to tradition it collected the soot from the lamps, later mixed to make calligraphers’ ink.
Where are the tombs of Suleiman and Roxelana?
In the garden-cemetery behind the mosque, on the qibla wall side: leave the courtyard by the side gate and go round the building on the right. Entry is free, and visits take place in daylight hours until late afternoon. You take your shoes off there as in the mosque.
- The tomb of Suleiman the Magnificent: an octagon ringed by a columned gallery, completed after his death in 1566. Suleiman rests there with his daughter Mihrimah Sultan and two 17th-century sultans, Süleyman II and Ahmed II.
- The tomb of Hürrem Sultan, known as Roxelana, smaller, right next door and dated 1558: its walls are covered with İznik tiles in floral patterns.
- The tomb of Mimar Sinan, the architect, outside the walls at the northern corner of the complex: a small triangular enclosure at the crossing with Mimar Sinan Street, seen through a grille. Few visitors find it.
Where is the terrace with the view over the Golden Horn?
On the north side of the esplanade, between the mosque and the former madrasas. The low wall looks over the Golden Horn, the Galata and Atatürk bridges and, far off, the Bosphorus. The terrace is open with the garden, free of charge, and it is one of the clearest panoramas in the old city.
For the photo of the mosque itself, stand in the middle of the arcaded courtyard with your back to the ablution fountain: the symmetry of the domes reads at a glance. In the evening, stay on the terrace wall when the sun drops behind Eyüp.
What is the history of the Süleymaniye Mosque?
Suleiman the Magnificent commissioned the mosque from Mimar Sinan, his chief architect, on the summit of Istanbul’s third hill. Work lasted from 1550 to 1557. Around the prayer hall Sinan drew a complete külliye: madrasas, hospital, soup kitchen, hammam, caravanserai. Part of it now houses the Süleymaniye Library, rich in manuscripts.
The four minarets recall that Suleiman was the fourth sultan to rule Istanbul after the conquest of 1453; their ten balconies, that he was the tenth Ottoman sultan. A legend says the mocking Shah of Persia sent jewels to fund a building site he claimed was short of money; Suleiman is said to have had them ground into the mortar of a minaret. The mosque and its district are UNESCO World Heritage, with the historic areas of Istanbul.
What time should I visit the Süleymaniye Mosque to avoid the crowds?
At opening, around 09:00. Süleymaniye gets far fewer groups than the Blue Mosque, but coaches arrive in late morning, between the Sultanahmet visit and lunch. Your second slot is just after the afternoon prayer, when the light drops over the terrace. On Fridays, forget the morning.
If you only have 2 hours (not Fridays)
- 09:00: prayer hall, 40 minutes.
- 09:45: tombs of Suleiman and Roxelana in the garden (20 minutes).
- 10:10: north terrace, view over the Golden Horn.
- 10:30: Sinan’s tomb at the corner of the street, then kuru fasulye opposite the mosque before heading down.
My top itinerary: the Süleymaniye Mosque and the Spice Bazaar
My order: go up by metro, come down on foot. The slope works for you, and you reach the Spice Bazaar before the afternoon crowds.
- 09:00: M2 metro to Vezneciler, then 10 minutes on foot to the courtyard.
- 09:15: Süleymaniye Mosque, prayer hall and stained glass.
- 10:00: tombs of Suleiman and Roxelana, then the north terrace.
- 10:45: walk down through the lanes of the carpenters and utensil sellers, towards Tahtakale.
- 11:15: Rüstem Pasha Mosque, up a staircase from the market, for its İznik tiles (check it is not closed for works).
- 11:45: the Spice Bazaar and its Turkish delight stalls, free entry.
- 12:45: fish sandwich or a ferry from Eminönü, on the Golden Horn.
This loop fits into my standard day in Istanbul in 1 day, after Sultanahmet. Prefer shopping? Swap in the lanes of the Grand Bazaar, 10 minutes on foot from the mosque.
Süleymaniye or the Blue Mosque: which one should I visit?
Both are free and each takes under an hour. If your time is short, here is what sets them apart.
| Criterion | Süleymaniye Mosque | Blue Mosque |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Free | Free |
| Opening hours | About 09:00 to 18:00, no official timetable | 08:30 to 17:00 in winter, 19:00 in summer (official rules) |
| Crowds | Moderate, rarely any queue | Heavy from 11:00 to 15:00 |
| Decoration | Pale stone, stained glass, little tilework | 21,043 İznik tiles |
| Extras | Tombs of Suleiman and Roxelana, Golden Horn terrace | Hippodrome and Hagia Sophia opposite |
| Access | M2 metro Vezneciler, 10 min | T1 tram Sultanahmet, 5 min |
My verdict: for architecture and calm, Süleymaniye wins. For tiles, the Blue Mosque. With half a day, do both: the Blue Mosque and its blue tiles at 08:30, Süleymaniye in late morning by the T1.
Which scams should I watch for around the Süleymaniye Mosque?
- The fake “official” guide at the courtyard gate, laminated badge round the neck, who offers the “compulsory” tour.
My answer: no tour is compulsory, entry is free. A “Hayır, teşekkürler” (no, thank you) is enough. - The free çay in a carpet shop on the way down to the bazaar, offered by a “student” whose English is remarkably good.
My answer: I smile and keep walking; free tea is paid for in hours of demonstration. - The shoe-shiner who drops his brush in front of you, then polishes your shoes to thank you for picking it up, before asking for money.
My answer: I pick nothing up and I do not stop.
Where can I eat near the Süleymaniye Mosque?
Opposite the entrance, Prof. Sıddık Sami Onar Street, the old “smokers’ market” (Tiryakiler Çarşısı), lines up kuru fasulye houses serving white-bean stew with rice pilaf. My address is Erzincanlı Ali Baba, packed with students and local office workers at lunchtime.
For a çay with a view, the small terrace cafés on the north slope, towards the Golden Horn, are worth the detour. The toilets in the complex are paid: keep a few lira coins.
Where should I stay near the Süleymaniye Mosque?
My selection around Sirkeci and Eminönü, at the foot of the hill, rated 4/5 or more:
| Budget | Hotel | Why I like it |
|---|---|---|
| Low budget | Raymond Blue Hotel | Simple and clean, good value, close to the tram. |
| Low budget | El Sera Hotel | Family welcome and comfortable rooms. |
| Mid-range | Orientbank Hotel Istanbul | Restored former bank, contemporary design. |
| Mid-range | Régie Ottomane Istanbul | Boutique hotel in the former Ottoman tobacco monopoly building, spacious rooms. |
| High-end | Legacy Ottoman Hotel | Historic building, indoor pool. |
| High-end | Demiray Hotel & Spa | Spa and modern comfort after a day on your feet. |
My pick: the Orientbank, to wake up in a period setting a quarter of an hour’s walk from the mosque.
My verdict on the Süleymaniye Mosque
After dozens of visits, this is the imperial mosque I recommend first to anyone who has already seen Sultanahmet.
Pros 👍
- The calm: you can sit at the back of the hall without being jostled.
- The terrace: one of the best free views over the Golden Horn.
- The tombs: Suleiman, Roxelana and Sinan in one place, no ticket.
Cons 👎
- The climb from Eminönü, hard in summer: take the M2 on the way up.
- Plain decoration: if you want tiles, go to Rüstem Pasha or the Blue Mosque instead.
- Vague hours: with no official timetable, prayers decide.
My favourite moment
Sitting on the red carpet, back against one of the great piers, I watch the chandeliers hang almost down to my head while the muezzin tests the microphone before the afternoon prayer. Then I step onto the terrace: in ten paces you go from the silence of the hall to the noise of the Golden Horn ferries.
FAQ on the Süleymaniye Mosque
Is the Süleymaniye Mosque free to enter?
No ticket is needed: entry is free for all visitors, with no booking, and the tombs of Suleiman and Roxelana are included. A donation box stands by the exit, with no obligation. Any “ticket” sold for Süleymaniye is always a guided visit, not an entry fee.
What are the visiting hours of the Süleymaniye Mosque?
About 09:00 to 18:00 every day, but no official timetable is published. The hall closes to visitors 30 minutes before each daytime prayer until the prayer ends. In winter the evening prayer falls around 17:45, so go in before 17:00.
Can you go into the Süleymaniye Mosque during prayer time?
No. Visitors are asked to wait outside from about 30 minutes before the call to prayer until the prayer has finished, then the hall reopens. Only the midday and afternoon prayers interrupt the visit in summer, and the evening one too from October to February.
Can you visit the Süleymaniye Mosque on a Friday?
Yes, from about 14:30, after the main midday prayer. In autumn and winter the afternoon prayer still interrupts the visit around 15:00, so the safest Friday slot starts at about 16:00.
What should I wear to visit the Süleymaniye Mosque?
Shoulders and knees covered for everyone, hair covered for women, no shorts. Shoes come off before the carpet and go into a plastic bag provided. Loan garments at the door do not always last into the afternoon, so bring your own scarf.
Where is the tomb of Suleiman the Magnificent?
In the garden behind the mosque, on the qibla wall side. His octagonal tomb with a gallery stands beside that of Hürrem Sultan (Roxelana), dated 1558. Entry is free in daylight hours. The architect Sinan’s tomb lies at the northern corner of the complex.
How do I get to the Süleymaniye Mosque?
The M2 metro to Vezneciler is the simplest: 10 minutes on foot on the flat. The T1 tram (Beyazıt-Kapalıçarşı) means a 12-minute walk. From Eminönü allow 15 to 20 minutes uphill. A journey costs ₺46.20 with the İstanbulkart.
Where is the view over the Golden Horn from Süleymaniye?
On the north terrace of the esplanade, between the mosque and the madrasas. It is free and open with the garden. From the low wall you see the Golden Horn, the Galata and Atatürk bridges and, far away, the Bosphorus.
Is the Süleymaniye Mosque better than the Blue Mosque?
For architecture, calm and the view, Süleymaniye. For İznik tiles, the Blue Mosque. Both are free and about 10 minutes apart by tram: with half a day, do both, starting with the Blue Mosque.
When was the Süleymaniye Mosque built?
Mimar Sinan built it for Suleiman the Magnificent between 1550 and 1557, on the third hill of Istanbul. Sinan designed it as the centre of a complete complex with madrasas, a hospital and a hammam.
Read more
My 20 must-sees, from Hagia Sophia to the Bosphorus, sorted by district.
Harem, treasury and courtyards of the sultans’ palace, 20 minutes away by tram.
Public ferries or cruises: my advice for sailing between the two shores.
Sources and references
- Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı, official prayer times for Istanbul, accessed 4 November 2026
- Istanbul.com, Süleymaniye Mosque: opening times and visit, updated 6 October 2026, accessed 4 November 2026
- Tickets-istanbul, opening hours and prayers at Süleymaniye, undated, accessed 4 November 2026
- FCDO, Turkey travel advice: entry requirements, updated 27 October 2026
- İstanbulkart, official transport fares (Turkish), accessed 1 November 2026
- Şehir Hatları, ferry fares (Turkish), accessed 29 October 2026
- Central Bank of Turkey (TCMB), exchange rates, £1 = ₺67.0171, selling rate of 30 October 2026
- BirGün, new Istanbul taxi tariff (Turkish), 16 September 2026
- Kültür Portalı, Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism: Süleymaniye Camii (Turkish)
- UNESCO, Historic Areas of Istanbul
- Wikipedia, Süleymaniye Mosque
📢 Kevin’s transparency note: this article contains affiliate links (GetYourGuide, Booking, Uber, Airalo). The price stays the same for you; a small commission comes to me and funds these free guides, and my next kuru fasulye opposite the mosque. Teşekkür ederim! Follow my days in Istanbul on Instagram: @kevinloveistanbul.
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