Ortaköy Mosque

Büyük Mecidiye Camii was built in the 1850s for Abdülmecid I by the Balyan family, the Armenian architects who also designed Dolmabahçe, and it belongs to the same late-Ottoman baroque moment: a single small dome, tall windows on all sides, carved stonework, and an interior of pink mosaic and marble that is brighter and more decorative than the classical mosques of the old city. Its fame is mostly about position. It stands directly on the quay in Ortaköy square, so it appears to sit in the water, and the suspension bridge across the strait rises immediately behind it - a juxtaposition that has made it the standard postcard of modern Istanbul. The square around it is a weekend crowd of cafés, stalls selling kumpir, the loaded baked potato that Ortaköy is known for, and street artists. The mosque was closed for a long restoration and reopened in the 2010s.

What you actually see

• The waterside setting - the mosque on the quay against the strait.
• The bridge behind - the span framing it from Ortaköy square.
• The baroque interior - pink marble and tall windows.
• The square - kumpir stalls and weekend crowds.

When to go

April to June and September to October. Late afternoon and sunset for the light on the water; weekends are extremely busy in the square.

Honest expectations

It is small and takes half an hour inside. Working mosque rules apply - modest dress, headscarf for women, closed at prayer times. The square is crowded and the food stalls are priced for visitors.

Nearby

Beşiktaş and Dolmabahçe are down the shore; Bebek and the Rumeli Fortress are north.