Visiting Üsküdar and Çamlica Mosque
Anchor for a visit to Üsküdar: I had read a terrific review of the Çamlica Mosque, so it was high on my list to visit. You can see the Mosque, and its 6 minarets, from just about anywhere along the Europe side of the Bosphorus, way up on the hill on the Asia side.
Getting there: I was going to follow the advice in the review by taking an Uber, as public transit looks like it would take a couple of hours from my hotel. Then I decided that the journey was part of the adventure.
I walked across the Galata bridge, took a ferry from Eminönü to Üsküdar, and took the little blue, C118 minibus (20TL cash only, driver can make limited change) up the hill to the mosque. The minibus stops at lots of little communities, running up the hill on the way to the Mosque, each with its grocery store and a few shops, and people going about their regular lives.
When the driver makes a 180 at a roundabout and heads back down the hill, you've just missed your stop. (I know from experience!) On this little minibus, just signal your distress to the driver and he'll stop to let you out. Heading up the hill and to the right, I walked counterclockwise up to the main entrance.
Just across the road from the main entrance, you may see some regular, yellow city buses. Mark that spot - you can take one back down.
The Mosque is every bit the highlight that linda4490 describes in her review, a behemoth beauty. I arrived minutes before prayer time and got a quick look around before I thought I would get kicked out. Then I saw the security guard talking to some tourist-women and directing them into the women's galleries above, gesturing that they could walk all around. So I did the same.
Ladies, absolutely go up into the women's galleries. (Men, sorry, I don't think you're allowed....?) You can get close up views of the tile work and stained glass in the upper galleries, as well as beautiful views down into the main area of the Mosque below. There were women praying on various floors of the galleries, so of course I had to be respectful.
After visiting the interior, you can wander around the gardens, with views of the city and the Bosphorus. And then, hopefully, find your way back down. I got a bit lost in that enormous building and had to ask a lady to show me the way back to the main entrance, and back across the road to the yellow buses. I took the mundane 15C bus (credit card tap to pay) back down to Üsküdar.
From there, I spent several hours having lunch in an overpriced restaurant overlooking the Bosphorus, and then wandering the town and the markets. I ducked into some very cool little inside malls where ladies could shop for dresses, shoes and scarves. Of course I bought one!
Then the ferry back from the Üsküdar pier to Eminönü. From then on, every time I looked across the Bosphorus at the behemoth Mosque, I could remember my visit through those upper galleries.
