Jay J.
Yelp
The Yeni Cami is the first mosque my friend and I visited the day we arrived in Istanbul. Completely exhausted from our previous leg of the trip, we checked in at our Taksim hostel, dumped our bags, and headed towards the Bosphorus in search of food. We promptly inhaled a few fish sandwiches and mussels on the Galata Bridge and headed straight for this mosque. Since we arrived late in the afternoon, we only wanted to walk around a bit and just relax, and this stop fit right into the plan.
Yeni Cami is immediately on the other side of the river from Taksim, located in the old part of the city, Sultanhamet. Walking in, I was blown away. Days later after I visited the famous Blue Mosque, I was still more impressed by the intricate details on the ceiling of Yeni Cami. Sure, everyone visiting the city for the first time should at the very least see the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, but if you want a visit low key, less touristy, yet still equally beautiful mosque, check this one out. It really set the standard for me for the rest of our stay in Istanbul.
One more hint: Though the restaurants along the Galata Bridge are fairly touristy and overpriced for inadequate quality food, make sure you spend at least one evening at one of the nargile lounges and watch the sunset over the Sultanhamet part of the city where Yeni Cami is at the Boshorus River's edge. Absolutely stunning.