pooks rutherford asked:
The travel agent that set up our tour itinerary says that we should dress modestly and that I should wear a head scarf and cover my legs. Does this mean I cannot wear sandals? Should I wear long sleeves too?
The travel agent that set up our tour itinerary says that we should dress modestly and that I should wear a head scarf and cover my legs. Does this mean I cannot wear sandals? Should I wear long sleeves too?
November 29th, 2007 by admin
Filed under: Istanbul |
Filed under: Istanbul |
November 29th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
The most conservative view is cover the legs and long sleeves. You will not have your shoes on in the mosque so the sandals do not matter. Scarf…could be optional in Turkey but nice to have.
December 1st, 2007 at 8:54 am
usually in arab countries the girls wear dresses with sometimes pants underneath. a head scarf would be a good idea too. you can look up turkey online and see the pictures of the people there to get an idea of what they dress like
December 2nd, 2007 at 4:53 am
no dear, they give you a galosh at the entrance of the mosque and you put them on your shoes or just take off your shoes… you dont have to cover your head unless you want to… you can not get in the church with a mini skirt or shorts either… its not only special for mosques…
December 4th, 2007 at 1:46 am
no you dont have to cover yourself upside down…ha BTW in Turkey all the Holly Places like mosques, churces or sinagogs, as a show of your respect you should not go with a short skirt and a very open top on…
December 5th, 2007 at 4:08 am
you can wear what ever you want , just bring 3 large scarfs with you . one for you hair, one for legs and one for upper body.if you are wearing pants and long sleeves it is ok just bring a scarf for your hair. also you have to take of shoes when you enter so snadals do not matter
December 6th, 2007 at 9:10 pm
do you go to church open legs? low cut? i think no
i hope to understand us.
welcomes you
December 8th, 2007 at 7:00 am
only you must leave your shoes out door of Mosque.and cover your hair.Be simple.Don’t forget this is a Temple.
December 8th, 2007 at 9:17 am
At first you should wear scarf and cover your hair.And you should wear long sleeve clothes and also you can’t wear short while you are visiting the mosques.And also you take off your shoes when enter in the mosques.And be careful don’t lose your shoes..
December 11th, 2007 at 6:22 am
Thank you for your respect.
December 11th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
Thank you for your respect:)
1-Bring something to cover your hair (A scarf will be more appropriate than a fashionable bandana. Any kind of cloth that would not attract interest is also appropriate either)
2-You should just have to cover your shoulders and chest: instead of a sleeveless top, you may prefer a t-shirt for instance. Or you may bring a large piece of cloth to cover both your hair and upper part of your body.
3-You should be wearing something which covers your legs: trousers, skirt or a short that end at your kness would be ok. Just try not wear Kylie Minogue shorts. Again, if you are in mini skirts or Kylie Minogue shorts, you can still cover your legs with a piece of cloth.
4-Shoes or sandals are not allowed in the mosque. Socks are allowed. But in some of the mosques they give you galosh then you would not need to take off shooes or sandals.
*The logic is that, you are entering into the God’s house and in the God’s house, we show our respect to the God and other prayers by covering some parts of our bodies.
As you know, while praying in the mosque, we sit on the floor. Taking of shoes prevents our mosques from dirt and unless you are given a pair of galosh, it is a must.
To some up: you are entering in the God’s house. No dress codes, no worries. In our land a little respect is appreciated more than you would imagine. You do not have to stress this much:)
PS: you MUST see our mosques, you will love them.
enjoy your travel
December 13th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Usually if it’s a bigger mosque, and tourists go there…they might have head scarfs & a long skirt there for you to wear.
December 16th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
You´ve gotten lots of info already - I´ll just add my 2 cents.
To sum it up, just make sure your legs are covered - trousers or capris (probably ok) or skirts are fine. And a T-shirt is better than a tank top. I´ve seen tourists there with T-shirts, but those with spaghetti-strap tops are politely asked to cover up a bit more. If you have some kind of a scarf you can use for your hair, just take it along in your bag the day you will go to the mosques. You could also stuff in a t-shirt/blouse/ skirt too, and just slip them on before you go in.
You are not a Muslim, so no-one will expect you to be dressed as though you are one. No-one will mind if your hair is showing etc. They are honoured when you make an effort, and this is the way you can show your respect to those in the mosque at the time.
The whole point of the “dress code” in a mosque, for Muslims or non-Muslims , is to allow those praying to concentrate on their prayers. Let´s be honest, if there is someone near you who looks attractive (physically), you will probably look at them, and if they are very attractive, you will keep looking at them, and chances are you will forget that you are in the middle of a prayer. So in a mosque, such a distraction is kept to a minimum. Of course, this goes for men too - they also have to cover up, although not as much. If they have short shorts, or tank-tops, they should also have a T-shirt or bermudas along. The logic here, is that men are more easily attracted to a pretty woman than the other way around. (Don´t believe me? Just look at all the car ads, etc. It is always a scantily clad woman on them, not a man! We women are just more straight-minded, and less hormonally driven…. it´s true.).
Thank you for your question - it shows that you are considerate. I know that this topic is sometimes difficult for a non-muslim to accept (I know it used to be for me!).
At the mosque they almost always have some extra clothes you can borrow, so no panic if you forget. And please don´t take it the wrong way if you are asked to put something on - it is only for the woshippers´concentration.
Hope you have a great time!! The mosques are beautiful, so please enjoy your visits. Don´t be shy to just sit and rest somewhere for a while if you´re in the mood - that is also what they are for - or wander around and admire it. (Just don´t walk in front of people praying). Have fun!!