Turkey is secular and Istanbul is very modern—and modernity often clashes with religious faith. But from the glorious perch atop the Galata Tower at sunset, voices rising from floodlit minarets all over the city in the azan and combining in an amelodic buzz reminiscent of throat-singing, modernity is easy to forget for a moment.

View from the Galata Tower

View from the Kadiköy ferry

Istanbul's skyline is studded with prominent mosques—Turkish mosques are among the loveliest in the world.

New Mosque, seen from the Galata Bridge

The New Mosque (completed in 1663, so it's only "new" to the Turks) is one of the grandest from the outside, and particularly impressive when lit at night. Inside, however, almost appears to still be under construction, and may be intimidating because it's less of a tourist site.

The most famous mosque in Turkey is the Blue Mosque, named for the lovely blue tiles and blue painted walls within.

Inside the Blue Mosque

Kip and Jamie, Blue Mosque

The outside is particularly refined, with its six minarets and elegant domes rising above the city—marred only by the vast numbers of touts harassing the tourists walking through the gardens.

It's beautiful, but overly popular. Although still a working mosque which requests visitors to leave during the 5-times-daily prayer sessions, the rest of the day the mosque is filled with chattering tour groups and an onslaught of camera flashes. In the summer I was required to cover my shoulders, but only devout women cover their heads here.

Suleymaniye mosque

Perched on Istanbul's highest hill, Suleymaniye Mosque is one of the finest mosques I've ever seen. Built under the reign of Sultan Suleyman by chief architect Mimar Sinan, this mosque exhibits the epitome of Ottoman architecture, and was the blueprint by which all of Istanbul's major mosques were designed.

Suleymaniye's courtyard	April in Suleymaniye's garden

The walk up was interesting as well, winding through small streets among schoolchildren. Most tourists who go (not many at this time of year) take a taxi straight up to the mosque gate. Crossing the gardens we heard the call to prayer and began to run so we could at least see a little of the complex before it closed for 30 minutes. Striking pillars and soaring archways graced the grand courtyard. In this beautiful place we felt automatically compelled to cover our hair—for once the cold weather was a good thing, as we all already had scarves.

Surrounding the mosque is a lovely cemetery complex, extensive greenspace and a nice view of the city.

Inside Suleymaniye mosque

On my final day in Istanbul, I found myself alone again after my friends all left on an early flight. I sought out tiny Rustem Paşa Mosque, which was actually very near Namli and the Egyptian Bazaar. There is a doorway engraved with the name, but there's also an unlabeled entrance...I accidentally went this route and circled a bit until an old man realized I was seeking the mosque and pointed in the right direction.

Rustem Paşa

It was quite early, and as I covered my hair and climbed the steps, I encountered the janitor who indicated the mosque was not yet open but welcomed me in. He led me to the small courtyard where I met the imam. The imam's English was very limited but he treated me so warmly. He invited me to his office so he could eat breakfast—of course inviting me to join him—and sit in front of his computer so whenever he stumbled on a word he could use his computer translator. He had taken an English course lasting only 10 days! Pretty impressive skills.

Rustem Paşa from the balcony

Inside I also met the blind muezzin, the man responsible for that mosque's beautiful call to prayer. The imam offered me the chance to "go up," which I hoped meant up the minaret, but was the second-best offer—I was let into the balcony of the tiny mosque. I was so charmed by the imam's eagerness to show me the beauty of his mosque. Also designed by the great architect Sinan, this mosque shows his Ottoman designs on a much smaller scale. The inside is coated in lovely colored tiles and the courtyard is graceful and appealing.

Almost hidden from the streets, the mosque is best spotted when standing further away. Once inside, there's really a sense of being in a secret place. Compact, peaceful and beautiful, Rustem Paşa feels like a retreat from the city.

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