Büyük Çamlıca Camii (Çamlıca Mosque)

Büyük Çamlıca Camii opened in 2019 on the Asian side's Çamlıca Hill (Üsküdar) and is the largest mosque in Turkey. It can hold 63,000 worshippers — about 8,500 inside the main prayer hall and another 35,000 in the surrounding courtyards, with capacity for 12,000 more in the basement and lower terraces. The design intentionally references classical Sinan-era Ottoman architecture: a single massive central dome flanked by cascading half-domes, six pencil-thin minarets rising 107 meters, and a forecourt with a central fountain.

Inside, the decoration is restrained compared to the Blue Mosque or Süleymaniye — pale marble, soft blue İznik-inspired tilework, and lots of natural light from a clerestory that runs the full perimeter. The qibla wall has a single huge piece of calligraphy in gold leaf. The mosque was designed by sisters Bahar and Hayriye Gökçin, the first women to design a mosque in Turkey.

Don't skip the terrace outside the courtyard: the views across the Bosphorus to the old city, the Golden Horn, and the bridges are the real highlight on a clear day. Pair with a visit to the nearby Çamlıca Tower (5 min by car) for the high-up view, or come for sunset and stay for the call to prayer.