Istanbul in $650s-$750s RT

Istanbul's classic mosques might get all the attention, but the city's collective clock didn't stop in 1650. Its more modern places of worship lean just as hard on architectural beauty.

For a contemporary taste, check out the Şakirin Mosque over in Üsküdar. Completed in 2009, the mosque sticks to a traditional Ottoman layout but uses entirely modern styles, from its aluminum fish-scale-patterned dome to its turquoise teardrop mihrab - a curved niche that points toward Mecca. 

As an added bonus, the Şakirin Mosque is located at one of the entrances to Istanbul's largest and second-oldest cemetery, so you can get a little wandering in :-)