Only in İstanbul would a nearly-400-year-old mosque be called "new." Constructed between 1597 and 1665 in a prominent location next to the mouth of the Golden Horn, the New Mosque (Yenı Cami) was originally commissioned by Safiye Sultan, mother of Sultan Mehmet III. The building project was completed six sultans later by order of Hadice Turhan Sultan (c 1628–83), mother of Sultan Mehmet IV. Turhan's türbe (tomb) is nearby. The mosque features a large forecourt and a square sanctuary surmounted by a series of semidomes crowned by a grand dome. The interior is richly decorated with gold leaf, İznik tiles and carved marble.
If it is open, be sure to visit the exquisitely decorated Hünkâr Kasrı (facebook.com/hunkarkasr), once the sultan's waiting room, which is located above the grand archway on the eastern side of the mosque. Art exhibitions are sporadically staged here; check its Facebook page for details.