In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Blue Mosque (the Sultan Ahmed Mosque) is a working mosque and entry is free: there is no ticket. Visiting is 08:30 to 17:00 from 1 October to 31 March and 08:30 to 19:00 from 1 April to 30 September, with the last visitor 30 minutes before closing. It is closed to visitors from 30 minutes before the midday and afternoon calls to prayer until 15 minutes after the prayer ends, and on Fridays visiting starts at 14:30. Cover as for worship, in the courtyard too; loan clothing is lent at a booth and returned to the same booth. No pushchairs. Or book a tour: a one-hour guided tourad is from €14.49, and the entry stays free.
Opening hours
The hours come from the Sultanahmet Mosque Conservation and Restoration Association’s visitor guide, which says the mosque is open for visits seven days a week.
| Period | Visiting hours | Last visitor |
|---|---|---|
| 1 April to 30 September | 08:30 to 19:00 | 30 minutes before closing |
| 1 October to 31 March | 08:30 to 17:00 | 30 minutes before closing |
Winter hours began on 1 October.
- Prayer closures. The mosque closes to visitors for the midday and afternoon prayers, from 30 minutes before the call to prayer until 15 minutes after the prayer ends. The call moves through the year, so check the day’s times on the Presidency of Religious Affairs’ prayer-times page for Istanbul before you go.
- Fridays. The mosque is closed to visitors until 14:30 for cleaning and preparation for Friday prayer, and open for worship only. Visiting starts at 14:30.
- Tickets. None. The mosque has no ticket to sell, and sites that sell tickets to it sell a reseller’s price for free entry.
Tours worth paying for
Entry is free, so a tour pays for the guide, not the ticket. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
One-hour Blue Mosque tour
From €14.49 · 1 hour · 2,161 reviews
Istanbul: Blue Mosque Guided Tourad by MEGA TRAVEL GROUP meets at the Dsign Cafe on At Meydanı Caddesi and takes an hour with a licensed English-speaking guide, with free time afterwards. You can ask for an audio guide instead, in which case you bring your own headphones. It does not skip any queue.
The mosque and Hagia Sophia in one tour
From €33 · 2.5 to 3 hours · 3,724 reviews
Istanbul: Blue Mosque & Hagia Sophia Guided Tour w/ Ticketsad by Walks In Europe spends 80 minutes at the Blue Mosque and 80 at Hagia Sophia, with the Hagia Sophia ticket included. TOURMANIA’s tourad of the same two buildings is from €48.75 and adds the Hippodrome. Hagia Sophia tickets has the ticket rules and the silence rule for guides.
What to see
The mosque was commissioned by Sultan Ahmed I and built in the early 17th century by Sedefkar Mehmed Agha, a pupil of the architect Sinan. The Ministry of Culture counts about 21,000 İznik tiles on its walls, which give it the name Blue Mosque.
The Blue Mosque from the Hippodrome, beside the Obelisk of Theodosius. Photo: Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- The visitor entrance. Visitors enter at the tourist gate, are checked for dress and leave by a different exit, handing back any loan clothing at the counters. Shoes come off at the entrance; take them with you.
- The interior. The tiles and the central dome are the visit. Visit and worship areas are separated inside: stay in the visit area.
- The courtyard. The outer courtyard is open. The Hünkâr Kasrı, the imperial pavilion, and the Hünkâr Mahfili, the imperial box inside, were still closed for restoration in July 2026, a licensed guide reports.
- The tomb of Sultan Ahmed I, beside the mosque garden.
- The Arasta Bazaar, in the mosque’s complex, with the Great Palace Mosaics Museum, which is closed.
The domes inside the Blue Mosque. Photo: Jorge Láscar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
The restoration that began in 2018 is nearly finished: the scaffolding is down and the minarets are done. The order: the Blue Mosque first, at 08:30 or after 14:30 on a Friday, then Hagia Sophia. The Sultanahmet walk puts the stops in order.
The courtyard and ablution fountain of the Blue Mosque. Photo: Jorge Láscar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Rules inside
The association’s visitor rules:
- Cover as for worship, in the mosque and in the garden. Mosque visiting rules in Istanbul says what that means for women and for men.
- Borrow clothing from the booth if you need it, and return it to the same booth.
- Do not talk loudly or do anything that disturbs prayer.
- No smoking in the garden.
- No pushchairs.
- Follow security staff and anyone wearing a staff pass.
Getting there and what is nearby
The T1 tram stops at Sultanahmet, a few minutes on foot. The mosque faces Hagia Sophia across the park: Hagia Sophia tickets is €25 at the entrance, and the Basilica Cistern is a block beyond it. Topkapı Palace is the other side of Hagia Sophia and is shut on Tuesdays. What to book before you go to Istanbul has the closed days for every sight. To sleep within walking distance, see hotels near the Blue Mosque and where to stay in Istanbul, and for a bath after a day on foot, hammams in Istanbul.
Common questions
Is the Blue Mosque free?
Yes. The association that looks after the mosque says visits are free. There is no ticket, and sites that sell tickets to the Blue Mosque are resellers.
What are the Blue Mosque's opening hours for visitors?
08:30 to 19:00 from 1 April to 30 September, and 08:30 to 17:00 from 1 October to 31 March. The last visitor enters 30 minutes before closing.
When is the Blue Mosque closed to visitors?
From 30 minutes before the call to prayer until 15 minutes after the prayer ends, for the midday and afternoon prayers. On Fridays visiting starts at 14:30.
Can I visit the Blue Mosque on a Friday?
Yes, from 14:30. Until then the mosque is closed to visitors for cleaning and for the preparations for Friday prayer, and open for worship only.
What should I wear in the Blue Mosque?
Cover as you would for worship, inside the mosque and in the courtyard. Visitors without suitable clothes can borrow some from the booth at the entrance and must return it to the same booth.
Can I take a pushchair into the Blue Mosque?
No. Pushchairs are not allowed in when you enter.
How long is the queue for the Blue Mosque?
A licensed guide's July 2026 account puts it at 10 to 15 minutes. A tour operator warns of a security queue of up to 30 minutes in the low season and up to 60 in the high season.
