ABOUT US
As young university
students, we became captivated by the fact that our world is a globe of
diversity. Luckily for us, Istanbul is a microcosm of the world in terms of the
abundance in diversity. Unfortunately, we also noticed that—for visitors to our
country—most of the services on offer to get to know Istanbul better are
expensive. We were convinced of the need for a free service to introduce our
city, culture and people to visitors.
With this realization,
as well as the inspiring encouragement of one of our lecturers, we found
ourselves in the Blue Mosque in 2018. Meeting people from all over the world
did not require much effort. We started volunteering at the Blue Mosque as a
group of students, in collaboration with The Blue Mosque Association, the
Faculty of Theology at Marmara University, and the Presidency of Religious
Affairs. Our group expanded as we were joined by other volunteers enthusiastic
about meeting visitors to Turkey and The Blue Mosque. Our experience in the
Blue Mosque taught us that mosques are one of Turkey’s chief attractions for
visitors looking to soak up the Turkish atmosphere. Our community is now ready
to welcome visitors to Istanbul's other treasured mosques.
WHAT DO WE DO?
In The Blue Mosque
Information Centre, we give our visitors an enlightening presentation on the
mosque, the importance of mosques for Muslims, and the kind of mindset that
brings Muslims together in a mosque. We also provide information about Islam in
general. Another thing we like to do is share insider tips about Istanbul and
Turkey. Our volunteers are also in charge of explaining the requirements for
visiting a Muslim place of worship. And if any further support is needed, we
are always happy to help.
We welcome questions of
all kinds, and we do our best to provide the most comprehensive answer
possible.
All guests are offered
free literature and pamphlets on the Blue Mosque and Islam, as well as
beverages and snacks.
And now we’re delighted
to be able to offer the same services to visitors at not only the Blue Mosque,
but at other Istanbul mosques as well.
All the services we have
listed so far are also available on our website through the online chat
function, apart from beverages and snacks, of course!
WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO?
Our aim is to break down
barriers between societies with an Islamic background and their visitors. Our
hope is that the people we meet will end up developing an appreciation of our
way of life, culture and friendship. We want to live in a world where we know each
other better and explore more.