Experts' Choice Award Rustem Pasha Mosque
What the experts agree on
Hidden gem near the Spice Bazaar with stunning Iznik tiles in cobalt, turquoise, and red—a Sinan masterpiece that rivals the Blue Mosque but stays blissfully crowd-free.
“Famous for its Iznik ceramics, the traditional blue tones of which are enriched here with red and turquoise.”
– Michelin Guide
Lonely Planet "Nestled in the middle of the busy Tahtakale shopping district, this diminutive mosque is a gem." Full review
Travel + Leisure "Visitors often overlook this spectacular but small mosque next to the Spice Market. Don't be among them. The inside walls are dramatically sheathed in colorful 16th-century tiles." Full review
Afar Magazine "a few hundred yards to the west of the Spice Bazaar, the Rüstem Pasha Mosque is a gem by Sinan that deserves a detour. " Full review
Fodor's "Tucked away in the backstreets just west of the Spice Bazaar, this Sinan masterpiece was built in the early 1560s for Rüstem Pasha, a grand vizier and son-in-law of Süleyman the Magnificent." Full review
Lonely Planet "Nestled in the middle of the busy Tahtakale shopping district, this diminutive mosque is a gem" Full review
Independent "This “miniature Blue Mosque” boasts the same profusion of Iznik tiles in patterns of cobalt and aquamarine, yet with a fraction of the crowds."
City guides
June 3, 2022
