clothing for churches

[CruiseCtrl]

I will be in Italy, Greece and Turkey in July and would like to know about appropriate clothing for entering churches and mosques etc. I understand in Italy you must have knees and shoulders covered to enter churches. Are there place in Greece and or Turkey I will also need to be covered or will shorts and tank top be acceptable?

In Italy, are skirts to the knee okay or should they be past the knee?

Thanks

[MarkSeattle]

I will be in Italy, Greece and Turkey in July and would like to know about appropriate clothing for entering churches and mosques etc. I understand in Italy you must have knees and shoulders covered to enter churches. Are there place in Greece and or Turkey I will also need to be covered or will shorts and tank top be acceptable?

In Italy, are skirts to the knee okay or should they be past the knee?

Thanks

 

shorts and sleeveless shirts are not appropriate in any mosque for women or men. greek orthodox is essentially the same, but it tends to vary in my experience depending on where you are for other religious places in Greece.

 

I'd skip the shorts and tank top if you're planning on visiting active religious monuments... (shorts are widely seen in greek archeological monuments)

 

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Women should wear a dress or blouse and skirt (at least to the knees), preferably with elbow-length or longer sleeves, and a headscarf.

 

A handy garment for women is a light jacket-shirt or jacket with a built-in hood ("hoodie"). Just raise the hood when you enter the mosque, and you don't need a headscarf!

 

Men should wear long trousers and a sleeved shirt.

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[UKBayern]

In any religious institution in Southern Europe, shorts and tanktops are not accepted for men or women. Shoulders and knees should be covered. What I always do is pack a lightweight long skirt, either with buttons, a wrap-around or with an elastic band I can step into, in my bag. A scarf is always great to bring too, either for covering shoulders or the head. Both items can be folded up into a very small parcel, and you are always prepared. In Roman Catholic churches, you don't always have to cover your head, in mosques you always have to. I have found that a skirt or bermuda for women that is onto the knee is mostly sufficient. Young local girls don't wear very long skirts either. For men, bare legs (even if they wear a bermuda over the knee) are frowned upon. Light cotton trousers or Docker type pants are the way to go.

 

As to other places, it depends. Some destinations the ship will call at are very touristy, catering to many millions of European holidaymakers a year, and in places like Kusadasi, Rhodes, Mallorca, etc they are used to tourists in shorts. A clear exception is Egypt. This is a strict Muslim country and women should not wear clothing that reveals too much bare skin or is too tight around "crucial areas". In the larger cities like Athens or Rome, most people do wear city clothes. The ratio between tourists and "normal people going to work" is of course very different there.

[financialgrl]

Just back from Grand Med sail on Ruby. Lots of churches on tours. Tour descriptions say long pants only but the port lecturer said that covered knees means not able to see the bend of your knee (from the back of your calf while walking). Most women wore capris and FWIW, the older men tended to wear long pants and the college aged and teen males wore shorts (but the ones that are the long ones, equivalent to a women's capri). So you will see it all but honestly no one I saw pushed the limit on this issue.

 

In Istanbul there were two people watching the crowd enter the Blue Mosque and had a box of shaw/pashmina type wrap if someone needed one to wrap around their waist to cover the knee (or your head) but they looked filthy like they'd not been washed in years so . . . Also, I had not taken a head covering and we didn't need one - someone asked and the guide said we were there during non prayer time so not necessary. I tried to find a flimsy nylon windbreaker like you used to see in the past to take for just this purpose on the trip but never found one anywhere in a store on online??

[texancruzer]

Just be sure knees and shoulders are covered....... most of the larger sites you will be visiting in Europe that pertain to this will be in the larger cities....shorts will feel somewhat out of place anyway.....capris work better.

 

one easy way is to always carry a lightweight scarf with you. Whip it out and either wrap around shoulders and tie like a skirt.....

 

now if you have a tank top AND shorts on - well then you need 2 scarves :D

 

Another tip: we found that outside some of the larger sites, ie the Vatican etc..... there were vendors selling said scarves..... talk about taking advantage of a situation ;)

[6rugrats]

In Istanbul there were two people watching the crowd enter the Blue Mosque and had a box of shaw/pashmina type wrap if someone needed one to wrap around their waist to cover the knee (or your head) but they looked filthy like they'd not been washed in years so . . . Also, I had not taken a head covering and we didn't need one - someone asked and the guide said we were there during non prayer time so not necessary.

 

I don't understand the guide's comments, because you would not be allowed inside if it was "prayer time". I did not note any enforcement of women covering their heads at the Blue Mosque.

[zqvol]

I will be in Italy, Greece and Turkey in July and would like to know about appropriate clothing for entering churches and mosques etc. I understand in Italy you must have knees and shoulders covered to enter churches. Are there place in Greece and or Turkey I will also need to be covered or will shorts and tank top be acceptable?

In Italy, are skirts to the knee okay or should they be past the knee?

Thanks

 

Unless services are being held, or you are at a functioning monastery, in Greece (and Greek Orthodox churches in general) there are no clothing requirements. (please if you attend services wear sleeves) Conservative is better, but you will not be denied admission if you are wearing shorts and a tank top. I cannot speak to mosques. Remember in Istanbul that Agyia Sophia is a museum, not a church so you do not have any issues there.

[Mands&Ian]

Unless services are being held, or you are at a functioning monastery, in Greece (and Greek Orthodox churches in general) there are no clothing requirements. (please if you attend services wear sleeves) Conservative is better, but you will not be denied admission if you are wearing shorts and a tank top.

 

You may not be denied admission but could well cause great offense.

 

A Greek Orthodox church near to me has signage outside that makes it clear what form of dress they consider acceptable. As well as the much commented reference to shoulders and knees it is perfectly clear that, in their eyes, a woman should wear a skirt or dress.

 

To date I've not been inside as I'm usually in trousers or shorts, depending on the weather. I'm sure no one would stop me trying to enter but that isn't the point, surely?

 

Mands

[texancruzer]

1. We saw people not being allowed to enter St. Peters. Didnt have that problem in Greece but everyone was dressed appropriately. Why go all that way and take the chance you won't be let in ???? Doesnt make sense.

 

2. Blue Mosque in Istanbul. When entering you must take your shoes off and put in a plastic bag and carry with you. They also gave me a large blue (looked like a big dinner napkin) to use for head/shoulders. Not sure which as they didnt say. I had on a top with sleeves down to my elbows. The napkin was freshly washed and ironed.

[rian90]

Capris and long pants are fine for women as long as they cover the knee. I rarely wear tank tops but I bought two light weight cardigans and will throw whatever one matches my outfit that day into my daypack to wear if need be. You do not have to wear a skirt. I feel very uncomfortable in most skirts and have not yet found one I would wear all day so I made sure that pants or capris were appropriate.

[ronnie64]

Not planning on visiting any churches in Athens, just seeing th major sites. Shorts and sleeveless shirt ok? Does this stand out more during the week than on the weekend? We will be in Athens on a Sunday.

[Mands&Ian]

Not planning on visiting any churches in Athens, just seeing th major sites. Shorts and sleeveless shirt ok? Does this stand out more during the week than on the weekend? We will be in Athens on a Sunday.

 

Shorts & tshirt are fine for sightseeing.

 

Enjoy your trip,

Mands

[Mands&Ian]

Capris and long pants are fine for women as long as they cover the knee. You do not have to wear a skirt.

 

 

Rian: just for you I abandoned an afternoon grappling with the household accounts and took a stroll, taking my camera :-)

 

The first photo is of one of the main doors of the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary the Merciful in Lefkara. The second is of a polite request regarding dress code. There is a smaller, older, sign which is just to the right of the door that makes reference just to dressing modestly.

 

 

 

Dress codes will undoubtably vary throughout the countries in question but here, in Cyprus and also Greece, there will be churches where a skirt is requested. In this case the church in question is in one of the villages most likely to see cruise ship passengers so this isn't a case of an out-of-the-way location not used to overseas visitors.

 

I have no idea why lipstick is not acceptable! And, once more, I was immodestly dressed (lightweight cotton trousers) so I still haven't seen inside the church.

 

Regards,

Mands

[cruisemom42]

Rian: just for you I abandoned an afternoon grappling with the household accounts and took a stroll, taking my camera :-)

 

The first photo is of one of the main doors of the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary the Merciful in Lefkara. The second is of a polite request regarding dress code. There is a smaller, older, sign which is just to the right of the door that makes reference just to dressing modestly.

 

 

 

Dress codes will undoubtably vary throughout the countries in question but here, in Cyprus and also Greece, there will be churches where a skirt is requested. In this case the church in question is in one of the villages most likely to see cruise ship passengers so this isn't a case of an out-of-the-way location not used to overseas visitors.

 

I have no idea why lipstick is not acceptable! And, once more, I was immodestly dressed (lightweight cotton trousers) so I still haven't seen inside the church.

 

Regards,

Mands

 

Thanks for posting. I was also going to post that I know from experience in Greece that some churches -- and also monasteries, such as those at Meteora -- do require skirts.

 

But a picture is worth a thousand words!

[agabbymama]

I had no problem with long pants or capris in Italy. Entered many churches and museums.

 

In Greece, on the other hand, the church and monestary we went to actually had elastic topped skirts to put on over your pants, right at the door. No skirt, no entry.

 

I never had anyone say anything at all about covering my head though.