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mosques etiquette, Istanbul
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inside the sulimaniye mosque - Istanbul
inside the sulimaniye mosque
by ophiro
Istanbul Local Customs: Travel tips and advice posted by real travelers and Istanbul locals.
mosques etiquette
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mosques etiquette: VISITING THE MOSQUES
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  • Man in prayer Blue Mosque, Istanbul - Istanbul
    Man in prayer Blue Mosque,
    Istanbul
    by Heniko
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    Most mosques in Istanbul are open to the public during the day. And the utmost respect should be observed when visiting the mosque or really any hose of prayer as a visitor. Prayer sessions, called namaz or salaat, last 30 to 40 minutes and are observed five times daily. Tourists should, however, avoid visiting mosques midday on Friday, when Muslims are required to worship. For women, bare arms and legs are not acceptable inside a mosque. Men should avoid wearing shorts as well. Women should not enter a mosque without first covering their heads with a scarf. Before entering a mosque, shoes must be removed. And you should not walk in front of a person praying or distrub them. It is better to observe quietly from the back.


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    mosques etiquette: Dress code for mosques
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  • Me, my wife, and our matching skirts - Istanbul
    Me, my wife, and our matching
    skirts
    by AcornMan
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    Remember that no one is allowed inside the mosques without first covering their shoulders and knees. As far as we could tell, all Turkish men wear slacks no matter what the weather is like, so it's no big deal for the locals. But tourists used to wearing shorts and/or tank tops should dress appropriately. If you forget, it's not a big deal because all the mosques have shawls and velcro skirts you can borrow at the entrance. Some mosques also require women to cover their heads, but scarves can be borrowed at those mosques. Even though I knew about these rules before our trip, we took an unscheduled visit to the Blue Mosque on our first day in Istanbul to escape the pesky salesmen around the Hippodrome. My wife and I were both wearing shorts, which was no big deal for my wife because she looked fine in the borrowed skirt. I attracted more than a few giggles as I strolled around in my skirt though. I'll even let you laugh at me in my skirt in the photo I'm providing. Oh well. I'm just grateful they let me in at all.

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    mosques etiquette: Alcohol and mosques
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  • Turkey is unique in that it is one of the few predominantly Muslim countries in the world where alcohol is legal. Nevertheless, there is one regulation you'll want to keep in mind: Alcohol is not served within view of a mosque, which in a city like Istanbul that is full of big mosques, can pose some challenges if you want a beer with your meal. But even if your hotel is in view of a mosque, there is nothing wrong with buying your own alcohol and drinking it there. In fact, one of my most enjoyable evenings in Istanbul was when I sat on the roof of my hotel in Sultanahmet and enjoyed a cold bottle of Efes Dark (an excellent beer, by the way) while looking out over the Sea of Marmaris in one direction and the top of the Blue Mosque in the other.

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    mosques etiquette: Into the Mosque ...
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  • Inside the Blue Mosque... - Istanbul
    Inside the Blue Mosque...
    by goga4444
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    Before you enter the Mosque , you have to take of your shoes , and enter without them . Nice young man in front of the Blue Mosque gave us bags to put our shoes in ... You can see some wet feet on pic LOL ( so there wont be any confusion , my feet got wet before entering the mosque It was snowing in Istanbul , my shoes were not exactly prepared for that ... :)

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    mosques etiquette: Before entering the mosques
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  • The majority of Turks are Muslim (about 99% of the population) of the Sunni creed. Hence, ISLAM is the principle religion in Turkey. Islam means devotion to God (Allah) & the basic belief is Allah created the world & everything shares the same roots as Christianity & Judaism except the belief about Jesus' divinity & status as a savior. Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus & Mohammed are all prophets while Mohammed is the greatest. It is believed that Mohammed is God's messenger & it was to him that God communicated his last revelation; being the last prophet. Muslims worship only God, no other. In Arabic, MUSLIM means one who has submitted to God's will. Islamic teaching is recorded in the KORAN (which has sura -114 chapters) - Kur'an-i Kerim (Holy Koran) contains God's revelations to Mohammed. Koran (being sacred) cannot be translated & exits in Arabic only. Sunna is the "rules of life" which governs the private & public behavior. (Sunna is a combination of the utterances of the prophets + The Koran) In order to be a Muslim, one needs only submit his/her heart to God's will & perform a few religious duties - Specifically 5 Pillars of Islam: 1) Profession of faith - understand & believe "There is no god but God & Muhammed is his Prophet". 2) Daily Prayer - 5 times (dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, dusk & after dark). 3) Duty to give alms to the poor. 4) Fasting during Ramadan month 5) Pilgrimage to Mecca - once in his/her lifetime. Muslim prayers are set rituals. Before praying, he/she must wash hands, arms, feet, ankles, head & neck in running water. As pictured, outside the mosques, one can usually find places for the Muslims to clean themselves with running water. If no water is available, one can clean with sand instead. If no sand, motions will suffice. After this ritual, he/she must cover his/head, face Mecca & perform a series of gestures & genuflections.

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    mosques etiquette: Shoes in a mosque
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  • Shoes outside the Sulimaniye mosque - Istanbul
    Shoes outside the Sulimaniye
    mosque
    by ophiro
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    When you want to enter a mosque you must take off your shoes. There are places to put your shoes and you have to respect the place. In most of the mosques there are signs to remind you and also people that will prevent the entrance with shoes.

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    mosques etiquette: Dress code in a mosque
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  • inside the sulimaniye mosque - Istanbul
    inside the sulimaniye mosque
    by ophiro
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    Because the mosque is a holy place for the muslims you have to respect them and the place you enter. dont go with short pants or undershirt. if you will enter this way they will give you something to cover yourself or will prevent your entrance.

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    mosques etiquette: Fountains such as the one...
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  • Fountains such as the one pictured here are found outside of every mosque. Before entering for prayers, a Muslim must have ablution, or the washing of the hands, face, neck and feet before his prayers will be accepted.

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    mosques etiquette: Praying people
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  • Praying in the blue mosque - Istanbul
    Praying in the blue mosque
    by ophiro
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    Don't walk in front of a praying person because it can be that he is praying to you instead of praying to god. This is why they closed the praying area in a barrier - Don't cross it.

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    mosques etiquette: Shoes off!!!
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  • When entering a mosque you have to cover your head (women), wear long sleeves (arms and legs) and take off your shoes. Is a very pleasant sensation to walk barefeet on the marble on a hot summer day.

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