Commissioned by Sultan Abdülmecid the Büyük Mecidiye Camii in Beşiktaş is Ottoman Baroque in style,…read morefamous for its low-hanging crystal chandeliers and natural lighting. Located near the first Bosphorus Bridge and Ortaköy's famous Baked Potato vendors do pay attention to the calligraphies created by the Sultan himself.

What a beautiful building! This mosque is a little further off the beaten tourist path, but it's…read morewell worth heading out of your way for a visit (at least, when combined with my suggested itinerary below.) You might be thinking to yourself: I've already seen a half a dozen mosques, each one with more beautiful tilework than the last. What's special about this one? It's a completely different style -- it's a neo-Baroque style, and very light and airy inside, with high arched windows. It feels like it belongs in 18th or 19th century Western Europe. It's peaceful and serene, and different enough to be interesting. Like all mosques, entrance is free. Men, don't wear shorts; women, cover your legs and head/shoulders. As at most mosques in the city, scarves/skirts are available to borrow if you need them. For a lovely and slightly different evening in Istanbul, here's my suggestion: head up to Ortokoy, grab some kumpir (huge potatoes stuffed with a wild mish-mash of awesome toppings) and/or waffles (also covered in toppings) from the food vendors nearby, take in the beauty of the mosque, and hop on a cheap 1 hour night-time Bosphorus cruise from the nearby Ortokoy port. (The tours are cheaper than the ones that leave from the busier and more touristy areas. The boat's not as fancy, but you'll pay half or less what you would leaving from closer to Sultanahmet.)

Peaceful and active 16th-century Ottoman mosque in Saraçhane park, Fatih district. You can't miss…read moreit if you're here to see the Valens Aqueduct. It is most notable for its spiral minaret. Built in 1550 on behalf of Emin Nuretti Efendi, qadi 'asker of Egypt, it is named for its spiraling (burmalı) brick minaret, a copy of a Seljuq design that is unique in Istanbul. The mosque is not domed, but has a pitched porch, which rests on four reused Byzantine Corinthian stone columns. Unusually, the entrance is off-center behind a column. You can meet some nice cats here.

If you take the ferry from Eminonu or you venture around the Galata Bridge is impossible not to…read morenotice the majestic Yeni Camii, also known as the New Mosque. If you take a photo of the Sulthanamet side, GoldenHorn area and it will pop up in your view! It's also located near the Spice/Egyptian Bazaar. Hard to miss! Free to visit daily except the times for prayers. As a woman, bring a scarf! Not as crowded as Blue Mosque, but beautiful in its own way! The construction was completed in 1665 and it took more than half of century to be finished. A woman, Safiye Sultan, the wife of Sultan Murad III and later Queen Mother was the person who wanted and gave the order for this mosque to be built! The domes are beautiful inside, decorated with the famous blue Iznik Turkish tiles! There is also a building that is a mausoleum dedicated to tombs of past sultans and their wives and children, which was interesting to visit. Lots of history here! This was a new feature for us to discover while visiting a mosque. Be respectful and enjoy this slice of Turkish architecture and history! Easy to find if you visit other sites in the area!

Incredible and majestic, this might be the most wonderful of the Ottoman mosques. Commissioned in…read more1597 by Safiye Sultan, the powerful mother of Sultan Mehmed III, its construction was delayed for decades due to political shifts, financial struggles, and fires. It was finally completed in 1665 by another royal woman, Turhan Hatice Sultan, mother of Sultan Mehmed IV. This history makes Yeni Camii one of the few great Ottoman mosques sponsored and shaped by women of the imperial court. On the other side of the bridge from the Galata Tower, an Iconic landmark for the Golden Horn, it is adjacent to Taksim Square.