Bosphorus Cruise or Blue Mosque first???

Trying to finalize our day in Istanbul. (or should I say our 15 hours in Istanbul. We get in at 1 pm.

I initially thought to get a tram to the Blue Mosque area and try to get in line right away, however, as it's a religious holiday and closed in the morning, everyone that would have gone in the morning will also be in the line. So I'm thinking of rethinking my plan.

Perhaps we should get off at the Eminonu stop and take the Bosphorus cruise first. Then possibly go to the Suleymayne Mosque. Then take the tram to the Blue Mosque area and spend the rest of the day there.

We could go to the Blue Mosque if the line isn't too long. If long, we'll have prebooked the Hagia Sophia ticket, so we can go there. Then back to the Blue Mosque. If it's just too long, then we can go around the neighborhood and side streets as this is what seems to really interest me as the Grand Bazaar will be closed and I would like to get a feel of the people, architecture and food.

Does anyone think if we do the cruise first that we may miss something in the Sultanahmet area?

I know everyone's always set on seeing the Blue Mosque, but there are other good ones that are lesser known - perhaps Rustem Pasa if you can find it. It's by the Egyptian (Spice) Market near Eminonu.

Here is a little more info: Rustem Pasa Camii is small & on elevated place one-story above street level in bustling market zone. On Hasircilar Caddesi. Nice night view. With back to Galata Bridge, is just to right of Spice Market, below larger Suleymaniye Mosque. Can either keep walking out of Spice Market alley that is parallel to water & will then be in Hasircilar Çarşısı which will lead to corner of Mahkeme Sk where find mosque OR walk across plaza to right of Spice Market, through car park & turn left into Mahkeme Sk; mosque on left. Open daily.

Suleymaniye Camii – less colorful than Blue, but rivals in size, scope & beauty. Enjoy numerous courtyards & tranquil interior in pastel hues & stained glass. Out back are tombs of Suleyman Magnificent & wife. 9-5.

Yeni Valide Mosque: Next to Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar in Eminönü, sure to see this splendid mosque from outside as pass through, so take time to go inside. Decoration breathtaking, colored tiles easier to see than those in Blue Mosque.

Also:

http://www.namazvakti.com/Main.php?WSLanguage=EN is a site where you can check prayer times on any given day.

Thanks so much! I'm going to check these out…

15 hours is not much time when there is so much to see. I would take the tram to the Sultanahmet area right away. You can see Hagia Sophia, the cisterns, etc. while waiting for a good time to see the Blue Mosque. You do not mention Topkapi which is worth seeing, especially the Treasury and the Harem.

We're going to do the Blue Mosque and Sophia Hagia. The palace seems huge and overwhelming with our small amount of time. As we love architecture and people that's why we thought we'd enjoy the streets, cafes, architecture. The Bosphorus Cruise seemed interesting to see the city, buildings without so much running. We're fairly young so no walking problems, but just wanting to take in as much of the city without total exhaustion.

Is the palace a better pick than the Bosphorus cruise???

Whatever you decide make sure you are on deck as the ship sails into Istanbul harbor, the call to Prayer can be heard miles out as you approach the city. It's amazing.

While the Bosphorus cruise is interesting, it's not usually what I recommend to people visiting Istanbul for the first time and who have limited time in the city.

From the cruise, you'll get a chance to see some of the traditional Ottoman houses, but many of them are being replaced by new modern (and ultra-expensive looking) houses without the same character. On the shorter cruise, this is mostly what you'll see other than Rumeli Fortress (from a distance).

On the other hand, if you like architecture, I'd recommend visiting Haghia Sofya for sure, and at least one of the classic mosques -- especially Sulimaniye Mosque designed by the excellent architect Sinan.

Rustem Pasha is my favorite of the 8 mosques I visited in Istanbul. :D dont miss it!

Glad to hear that about Rustem Pasa. It certainly looked great to me, plus we will be seeing it as part of our included tour (provided by the ship) in Istanbul, so glad to hear it was your favorite. Some people were really upset about going to Rustem Pasa instead of the Blue Mosque, but I was fine with it from the start. Besides, I'm not crazy about standing in long lines and being shoulder to shoulder with others just to see something that is well-known. I guess I prefer the off-the-beaten track stuff!

Glad to hear that about Rustem Pasa. It certainly looked great to me, plus we will be seeing it as part of our included tour (provided by the ship) in Istanbul, so glad to hear it was your favorite. Some people were really upset about going to Rustem Pasa instead of the Blue Mosque, but I was fine with it from the start. Besides, I'm not crazy about standing in long lines and being shoulder to shoulder with others just to see something that is well-known. I guess I prefer the off-the-beaten track stuff!

Sulemayne mosque is also just as nice as Blue Mosque but not as well known. Definitely not as crowded at either mosque but if I were you I would hire a private guide and not do a ship tour in Istanbul. I wouldnt want to be in the very intimate Rustem Pasha mosque with alot of people. One of the best things was that it was quiet when we were there with hardly any people as opposed to the Blue mosque which was a zoo. I think the quiet atmosphere makes a huge difference in these places and just calming to watch the few other people praying and be reflective. To say nothing of the photos being much better without alot of people in them. Mine look like postcards with no people unless I chose to include them.

I wouldnt want to be in the very intimate Rustem Pasha mosque with alot of people. One of the best things was that it was quiet when we were there with hardly any people as opposed to the Blue mosque which was a zoo. I think the quiet atmosphere makes a huge difference in these places and just calming to watch the few other people praying and be reflective. To say nothing of the photos being much better without alot of people in them. Mine look like postcards with no people unless I chose to include them.

That's an excellent point, thank you.

Do you need tickets to get into the mosques (other than Hagia Sophia-museum)?

Also, on another post someone advised they found that the line at Hagia Sophia for people that already had tickets was 10 times longer than the one where you had to buy tickets. They were inside in about 10 minutes. The other line took a lot longer. Does anyone have recent experience?

The number one site to see in Istanbul above all is Hagia Sophia. The amazing building was constructed 1500 years ago. It was an engineering marvel at the time.

My advice is go see Hagia Sophia. The Blue Mosque is nearby and if open, it doesn't take long to see the inside. However, the line getting in is what will delay you.

While there you can see the Hippodrome where the chariot races were run during the late Roman and Byzantine Empires.

The Blue Mosque is on the site of Emperor Justinian's palace. He had a private entrance to his seat at the Hippodrome from the palace.