Sure, the Blue Mosque is the most famous one and therefore better known among tourists, but that’s also its great drawback. The Blue Mosque – still one of the most impressive in Istanbul – suffers from that huge and constant flow of visitors, which the Süleymaniye Mosque doesn’t. Of course, it was clear to me that I needed to visit Istanbul’s largest Mosque, yet I had no idea it would leave me this speechless compared to other sights of the city.

Fewer visitors are not the only quality it possesses; It’s an architectural masterpiece. The aesthetic supremacy of its interior and exterior and its perfect proportions have been captivating visitors for centuries.

The Süleymaniye Mosque was built on the order of Sultan Süleyman I, also known as Süleyman the Magnificent, who was the greatest and richest of all Ottoman sultans, and it crowns Istanbul’s highest of the seven hills.

View of Süleymaniye Mosque from the Galata Quarter in Istanbul, Turkey.

Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

Inside Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.