lmschmale

I will be in Istanbul for about 10 hours (stopping on a cruise) in August. I plan to go to all the major sites. I understand that, for the mosques, I should cover to my knees, to my elbows, and my head. What do people suggest? Can I wear shorts, a tank top, and sneakers, and then for the mosques throw on a hoodie to cover my arms/head and a wrap to cover my legs? I suppose I COULD wear a skirt/sundress to my knees (will look stupid with sneakers though...and please don't try to suggest I wear another type of footwear) but I don't know what else would cover my head other than some sort of hooded sweater/sweatshirt. Is it just your hair on the top that needs to be covered or the whole head/hair/neck? Or do you really even need to cover yourself if you're just there as a tourist and not attending a prayer? Thanks for your help!

ekscrunchy

I would not walk around Istanbul in short shorts or in a revealing tank top. I would wear loose cotton pants and at the minimum, short sleeves.

You must cover your hair and dress modestly in a mosque, even if you are there as a tourist. I would think you would want to. You can bring a scarf. You will have to remove your shoes to go inside. So you might want to wear, or bring, socks.

You cannot go to all of the major sights in 10 hours.

Kiddo

I agree with Ekskrunchy. My husband and I were there for a couple of days at the end of a cruise. I generally wore light sundresses or skirts with my shoulders covered. I had a lightweight scarf with me to wear in the mosques. My husband was wearing shorts and they gave him a long 'wrap' to wear.

Weadles

ekscrunchy gave you great advice. I'll just reiterate that you should NOT wear shorts and a revealing tank top in Istanbul. It just isn't appropriate attire. My daughter and I wore capris with t-shirts, or dresses/skirts just to the knee, nothing very short.

THe mosques have attendants at the door who give you a long cloth to tie around your waist so that your knees are covered. I can't remember- even though we were just there a year ago- whether they gave us head scarves as well. I don't think they did.

I'd bring an inexpensive wrap just in case. I would not advise wearing a hoodie into a mosque. I think it might be viewed as a bit disrespectful.

Seamus

Agree that tank tops are not seen as generally acceptable attire for women in the city, nor are shorts; capri length seemed to be OK, though.
Most mosques - at least the larger ones visited by tourists - do provide both foot coverings for all and long scarfs for women to use as needed. There are a limited number, though, and if it is busy you may need to wait a bit for one to be returned (happened when I was there, not sure how frequently it occurs.)

LoveItaly

I would want to bring my own scarf for the head covering rather than using a scarf that many others have put on their heads. But that is just me, lol.

I would wear a skirt or capris and a shirt/blouse with sleeves and with your scarf for your head you should be fine. About the foot coverings. Are they paper ones that are disposable? If so I would use them. If not I would tuck a pair of socks into a pocket as I wouldn't want to put on foot coverings that others have worn.

southeastern

I would stick a pair of "golf" socks in your purse. I've never been a mosque where they give you footies.

Weadles

We were given paper socks at the mosques.

StCirq

No to shorts. No to tank top. No to sneakers. Honestly.....what are you thinking?

Wear a skirt or a sundress and carry a scarf to cover your shoulders and head. They don't care if you're a tourist or not; they expect you to be respectful of their customs.

Good luck going to "all the major sites."

adrienne

You don't have to cover your head in the mosques; it's optional and most women did not have their hair covered.

The larger mosques give you plastic foot covers with elastic around the edge that go over your shoes. I'm not sure if they reuse them but I would think so. You remove your shoes in the smaller mosques so bring some socks to put on your feet.

LowCountryIslander

I must respectfully disagree with Adrienne. Even if wearing a head scarf is optional, when I was in Istanbul last year every Mosque I went into women were wearing scarves. Wearing a scarf and removing your shoes in a Mosque is a sign of respect and I personally would never not wear one or not take off my shoes.

When I arrived in Istanbul the first purchase I made was a scarf. They are for sale everywhere and come in all sizes and prices. On your way to a Mosque stop at one of the markets (Grand Bazaar or Spice Market) and pick one up. It also serves as a great souvenir!

adrienne

LowCountryIslander - I'm simply repeating what my Turkish tour guide told us - covering your hair is not required. 90% of the women in the large mosques were not covering their hair. There was no one in the smaller mosques so I can't tell you what the women do there.

In the Blue Mosque and other large mosques if you remove your shoes you will probably have to carry them with you during your visit (one place to enter and one to exit). There are so many people going into and out of the large mosques that there really isn't time to remove shoes and put them back on near the entrances/exits hence the plastic shoe covers.

Seamus

That's different than when I visited the Blue Mosque (two years ago). At the entrance there were men providing plastic bags in which visitors were instructed to put their shoes. On leaving, there was a collection bin for the bags. I honestly do not recall whether or not most women wore headcovering. I did see several young women denied admission until they creatively donned a scarf to cover what was deemed unacceptable dress, such as sleeveless tops or shorts. Some of them had carves with them, but I believe that some used a loaner provided by the attendants.

Proenza_Preschooler

Women don't have to cover their heads in the Blue Mosque.

You can wear skimpy attire in Istanbul if you want to as it is a very cosmopolitan city. However, if you do wear skimpy clothing you will receive UNWANTED attention from men.

Many tourists stay in Sultanahmet and only see covered Muslim tourists. If you venture to Nisantsi, Beyoglu, or Ortakoy, you will see women dressed in the same type of clothing you would see in New York City.

Thin

galaxygrrl200

I just got back from there, I wore shorts and a tank top except in the mosques and it was fine. In the moques I wore pants a shirt and a head cover

Michael

I went barefoot in the Blue Mosque and the Rustempasha Mosque, along with others who did not have socks.

Josser

I always get annoyed by this sort of question.
If you go into a church, mosque or whatever, then dress and behave in a respectful manner.
Nobody is forcing you to go into a place of worship and if you go as a tourist, it is a concession, not a right.
The last time I went to Venice, we visited the Ghetto and visited some synagogues. I made a point of taking and wearing a hat.
I never wear shorts, they would look ridiculous at my age, and Mrs J. always dresses smartly and modestly too, so churches are also no problem.

poss

We've got a post-cruise 3 day visit to Istanbul planned, so I've been interested in this discuission. Some of the posts make me wish I'd booked just one night instead of 3. I don't enjoy constantly worrying about what I'm wearing (or not wearing). E.g. on the "sneaker" question. I have plantar fasciitis-- terrible heel pain-- and I can wear only stiff "sneakers" with orthotic inserts. I hate the fact-- mainly because of the pain, but also because the "look" is, to say the least, not lovely. At the same time, I don't want to be made to feel horrible because I'm in such "costume." I will not be dressed "smartly," that's for sure. And if temperatures are 80 or above, it's going to be difficult to get my husband out of shorts.

I may need to re-think our plans

ekscrunchy

So you would cut your time in Istanbul because you will have to wear modest clothing in a mosque? Who said you cannot wear sneakers the rest of the time? Would you skip Rome because you have to dress modestly in St. Peters?

Would you walk around in New York or Paris with skimpy shorts and a tight tank top?

As PP said above, in the newer areas of the city, women dress like they do on other major world cities..tight jeans and sleeveless tops are much in evidence.

poss

I don't wear either skimpy shorts or tight tank tops.

In any case, the clothes question may be moot at this point, given yesterday's terrorist attack in Istanbul.