Experts' Choice Award Suleymaniye Mosque
What the experts agree on
Widely hailed as Sinan's masterpiece, this hilltop mosque crowns Istanbul's skyline with its towering dome and gilded interior. The complex includes tombs, schools, and a hospital—yet stays refreshingly uncrowded compared to Sultanahmet's sights.
“The elegant silhouette of Suleyman's mosque rises gracefully towards the sky.”
– Michelin Guide
Fodor's "Perched on a hilltop opposite Istanbul University, Süleymaniye Camii is perhaps the most magnificent mosque in Istanbul and is considered one of the architect Sinan's masterpieces." Full review
Concierge "Escape the Sultanahmet crowds and head for this impressive and undervisited complex, just a short walk past the University from the back of the Grand Bazaar."
Lonely PlanetTop choice
"The Süleymaniye crowns one of the seven hills dominating the Golden Horn and provides a magnificent landmark for the entire city." Full review
Travel + Leisure "This stunning 16th-century mosque complex encompasses a hospital, primary school, caravansary, four Koran schools, a medical college, a public kitchen, and the mausoleum." Full review
Let's Go "With the highest dome in the city, this mosque represents Ottoman architecture at its innovative best." Full review
Travel + Leisure "Suleymaniye Mosque is considered Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan's most splendid Istanbul mosque, and the architect himself is buried in a tomb on the site"
Istanbul Travel Guide
August 16, 2021
Frommer's "Perched on one of the seven hills of Istanbul and dominating the skyline, this complex is considered to be Sinan's masterpiece as much as the grand monument to Süleyman's reign" Full review
Travel + Leisure "Built in the 16th century to honor Sultan Süleyman...the central dome stands at a staggering 154 feet tall and the interior is beautifully decorated with colors of gold, green, red, and blue."
25 Best Things to Do in Istanbul
September 28, 2023
The Guardian "To my right, the Kapalıçarşı or Grand Bazaar and the Süleymaniye mosque. This last was created by Turkey's greatest architect, Mimar Sinan, for its greatest sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent."
Istanbul: a virtual tour through books, film, food and music
January 27, 2021
National Geographic "The interior of the Süleymaniye Mosque is an almost perfect square, with a central dome surrounded by smaller domes. It was built as a centre for both religious and cultural activity,..."
