Yıldız Hamidiye Camii

At the top of Barbaros Boulevard, at the entrance to Yıldız Palace, this mosque was built by Abdülhamid II as the palace's Friday mosque; the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam dates it to 1881-1885. Combining Orientalist and neo-Gothic elements, it has a small, high dome placed near the entrance, decorated inside with stars on a deep blue ground. Its single minaret has a fluted shaft, and the cedar screens of the royal loge are recorded as Abdülhamid II's own work. The clock tower beside it dates from 1890. Visit outside prayer times, in clothing that covers shoulders and knees; women should cover their hair, and shoes are removed at the entrance.