From Süleymaniye down to Eminönü: a half-day walk

This walk starts at the Süleymaniye Mosque on Istanbul's Third Hill and ends at the Spice Bazaar in Eminönü, on the Golden Horn. Almost all of it runs downhill. With time inside the two mosques and the bazaar, it takes about half a day. Walk it in this direction: the climb up from Eminönü is steep.

Getting to Süleymaniye

Take the M2 metro to Vezneciler or the T1 tram to Beyazıt-Kapalıçarşı. From either stop it is an uphill walk of about 10 to 15 minutes through the university quarter. From the Grand Bazaar, guides count about 10 minutes on foot.

The Süleymaniye complex

Mimar Sinan built the mosque for Sultan Suleiman I, and it opened in 1557. The main dome is about 53 m high, and the four minarets carry ten balconies. Madrasas, a former hospital, a public kitchen and a bath stand around the mosque as part of the same foundation.

In the garden behind the mosque are the octagonal tombs of Suleiman and Hürrem Sultan. The north-east edge of the courtyard looks out over the Golden Horn and Galata. Sinan's own tomb is a small domed structure just outside the north corner of the complex, at a street junction. The walk down begins here.

Down to Rüstem Paşa Mosque

From Süleymaniye the streets drop steeply towards Tahtakale, the market district behind Eminönü. Rüstem Paşa Mosque stands there in Hasırcılar Çarşısı, the old street of the mat weavers. Sinan built it for Grand Vizier Rüstem Pasha, who died in 1561. It was finished around 1563.

The mosque sits on a high terrace above vaulted shops, whose rents paid for its upkeep. Narrow stairs lead up from the street to the courtyard. Inside, İznik tiles cover almost every wall, as well as the porch at the entrance.

The Spice Bazaar

The Spice Bazaar, Mısır Çarşısı in Turkish, is a few minutes away; one of its six gates is the Hasırcılar gate. It was built from 1660 to 1664 for Turhan Sultan, mother of Mehmed IV, as the market of the New Mosque complex. Its rents funded the mosque. The name, meaning Egyptian Bazaar, came into use in the 18th century because taxes from Egypt paid for it. Most shops sell spices and lokum; there are also jewellery and souvenir shops.

Practical notes

Prayer times change every day with the sun. Check the day's times for Istanbul on the Diyanet website before you set off, and plan the mosque visits between them. Bazaar opening hours were not confirmed by an official source, so check them locally.