Istanbul, Turkey — Where to Go
Istanbul Sightseeing Overview
Although modern Istanbul is huge, most of its key sights are in the compact area of the old city, bounded by the ancient ‘land walls', the waters of the Bosphorus, and the narrow inlet of the Golden Horn, and embellished over centuries by Byzantine Emperors and Ottoman Sultans.
For almost 1,600 years - from the foundation of Constantinople in AD330 to the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923 - this was the heart of the city, and of the vast Ottoman Empire.
Major change began in the late 19th century. The cosmopolitan ‘European quarter' of Pera, across the Golden Horn, became the focus of development, with trams, electric lighting and wide modern avenues. Under the new Republic, modernization gathered pace, becoming increasingly frenetic in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, when the city grew to become a vast conurbation.
Istanbul has recently been endowed with some outstanding modern museums and art galleries, but many visitors find the Sultanahmet district, with its mosques, bazaar, Roman and Byzantine ruins, and Ottoman palaces fascinating enough to occupy their entire stay.
Sultanahmet's major landmarks include Aya Sofya (Haghia Sophia), Topkapi Palace, and the Blue Mosque. Northwest of Sultanahmet, in the Beyazit district, is the splendid Kapali Çarsi (Covered or Grand Bazaar).
The Galata Bridge, crossing the Golden Horn, leads to the Karaköy district, overlooked by the landmark Galata Tower. Further uphill, Beyoğlu and Pera were for centuries the designated residence of foreign traders, while Taksim has become the heart of the modern city and the hub of its central business district.
Istanbul Tourist Information
Turizm Danisma Burosu
Sultanahmet Meydani
Tel: (0212) 518 8754/1802.
Website: www.istanbul.gov.tr
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 0900-1300.
Istanbul Sightseeing
There are no tourist passes currently available.
Istanbul Sightseeing
There are no tourist passes currently available.
Key Attractions in Istanbul, Turkey
Haghia Sophia
Haghia Sophia, known as Aya Sofya and translated as 'Church of Divine Wisdom', is considered the world's finest example of Byzantine architecture. Consecrated in AD537, its vast dome rises to 56m (183ft), designed to appear suspended in space and thus representative of heaven. So impressed was Mehmet the Conqueror that when he took the city in 1453, he dedicated it as a mosque, and it remained so until declared a museum when the Turkish Republic was founded. Highlights include Byzantine mosaics and huge Ottoman circular shields containing calligraphy of Koranic verses.
Sultanahmet, in front of Topkapi Palace
Tel: (0212) 522 1750.
Website: www.hagiasophia.com
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0900-1700 (winter); Tues-Sun 0900-1800 (summer) plus first Monday of every month.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
UNESCO site: Y.
Topkapi Palace
Topkapi was home to Ottoman sultans, their harem, state administration and bodyguard from the 16th century until 1855, when the throne moved to the more modern Dolmabahçe Palace. The glittering jewels of the original treasury (including the Topkapi dagger, and the gold-plated throne of Murat III), the armory, silk ceremonial robes, Chinese ceramics and the collection of manuscripts, all convey the opulence of the Ottoman Empire at its zenith. Near the Imperial Gate is Haghia Eirene Museum, venue for concerts during the International Istanbul music festival. The Harem, comprising several dozen ornate rooms which once housed up to 300 concubines, is only open to guided tours and requires a separate ticket (and separate queue).
Babihümayun Caddesi, Sultanahmet
Tel: (0212) 512 0480.
Website: www.topkapisarayi.gov.tr
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 0900-1600 (winter); Wed-Mon 0900-1900 (summer); Harem Wed-Mon 0900-1700.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
UNESCO site: Y.
Kapali Çarşisi (Covered or Grand Bazaar)
The famous and vast bazaar is the best known of Istanbul's markets. It was instated shortly after the 1493 Conquest and contained the slave market, as well as the hans, or caravanserais of old, where Silk Road traders could rest themselves and their camels, as well as sell their goods. While the ornate ceilings and labyrinth-like layout still hark back to the past, these days the vast number of stalls (more than 4,000 of them, in over 60 streets) sell mainly tourist-friendly goods and plasma TV screens belie any sense of a timeless atmosphere. The complex also contains two mosques, money change offices, a police station, cafés and an information point. Haggling is essential at most stalls.
Beyazit
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1900.
Admission charge: N.
Disabled access: Y.
UNESCO site: Y.
Misir Çarşisi (Egyptian or Spice Market)
This L-shaped market, facing the Golden Horn, was built in the 17th century as an extension to Yeni Camii (New Mosque), and financed by the money paid as duty on Egyptian goods. Originally famed for its exotic spices and oils from the Orient, these days it also sells dried fruits, caviar and Turkish delight, as well as a plethora of souvenirs at prices generally lower than the Grand Bazaar. Its surrounding streets are a hub of commercial activity, with local craftspeople, traders and a great selection of cheeses and olives.
Eminönü
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1900.
Admission charge: N.
Disabled access: Y.
UNESCO site: Y.
Sultanahmet Camii (Blue Mosque)
The Blue Mosque was built during the reign of Sultan Ahmet I (1603-1617), as Islam's answer to Haghia Sophia, and remains the symbol and center of religious demonstrations and Istanbul's only mosque with six minarets. Blue Iznik tiles dominate the interior, and blue light shines through more than 250 windows. The interior is stunning, from the vast central dome designed to lift all eyes heavenward to the latticework-covered Imperial Loge and the mihrab (prayer niche) containing a piece of sacred black stone from Mecca. After dusk during summer there is a Son et Lumière (sounds and lights) show with Turkish, English, French and German on different nights. The Imperial Pavilion also contains the state-run Vakiflar Carpet Museum with Usak, Bergama and Konya samples, dating between the 16th and 19th centuries.
Meydani 21, Sultanahmet
Tel: (0212) 485 0776.
Website: www.sultanahmetcami.com
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours, except during some prayer times; Carpet Museum: Tues-Sat 0900-1600, closed 1200-1300.
Admission charge: N.
Disabled access: Y.
UNESCO site: Y.
Yerebatan Sarayi (Basilica Cistern)
Sometimes referred to as the Sunken Palace, Istanbul's Basilica Cistern was the reservoir for water required for the Byzantine Great Palace, and is thought to date back to AD532. This huge atmospheric structure, measuring 140m (460ft) by 70m (230ft), still contains a few feet of water, over which wooden walkways have been constructed. Many of the 335 columns supporting the cathedral-like ceiling have been recycled from pre-Christian temples - such as the Medusa heads that are used as column bases, pilfered from the Temple of Apollo in Didyma (Didim). Rather cheesy piped music spoils the atmosphere to some extent. The cistern was used as a film set for the James Bond film, From Russia With Love (1963).
Yerebatan Caddesi, Sultanahmet
Tel: (0212) 522 1259.
Website: www.yerebatan.com
Opening hours: Daily 0900-2000.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: N.
UNESCO site: Y.
Süleymaniye Mosque
Although fewer tourists make it here than to the Blue Mosque, this Istanbul mosque commissioned by Sultan Sülemaniye I (‘the Magnificent') is even grander and more peaceful, and one of the finest creations by Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan. The huge dome and pencil-slim minarets from each corner of the courtyard are an exquisite essay in symmetry and elegance. Built in the 1550s, the site also contains the tombs of Sinan, Sultan Süleyman I and his wife Roxelana decorated with intricate tiles, the original apartments of the mosque astronomer, charitable foundations, caravanserai and fountain, all set around a tranquil courtyard. There are several outdoor tea-houses in a row behind the mosque in what was formerly known as ‘Addict's Alley'.
Siddik Sami Omar Caddesi, Süleymaniye
Tel: (0212) 514 0139.
Website: www.suleymaniye.org
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1730. Closed to non-Muslims during prayer times and Friday afternoons.
Admission charge: N (donation requested).
Disabled access: N.
UNESCO site: Y.
Türk ve Eserleri Müzesi (Turkish and Islamic Art Museum)
Originally the 16th-century palace of Süleyman the Magnificent's most able Grand Vizier, Ibrahim Pasha, this Istanbul museum contains more than 40,000 items dating from between the seventh to the 19th century. Its famous carpet display contains Turkish carpets depicting Holbein paintings and fragments of 13th-century Selçuk rugs. Further highlights include Ottoman Koran cases and stands, illuminated manuscripts and tiles, and the basement contains an exhibition of the evolution of the Turkish house - from nomadic tents to 19th-century palaces.
Meydani 46, Sultanahmet
Tel: (0212) 518 1805.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0900-1630.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Further Distractions
Istanbul Modern (Istanbul Museum of Modern Art)
Located in a restored old waterfront warehouse and opened in 2004, the huge Istanbul Modern has a fine collection of contemporary arts from Turkey and around the world. Specialising in painting and photography, with a cinema screening world films in the basement, the gallery hosts exhibitions that include 20th-century home-grown talent to try to encourage Turkish art. The entire venue is fresh, spacious and well laid-out, with a fine restaurant/café on the ground floor overlooking the Bosphorus.
Meclis-i Mebusan Caddesi, Liman İşletmeleri Sahası Antrepo 4, Karaköy
Tel: (0212) 334 7300.
Website: www.istanbulmodern.org
Opening hours: Tues-Wed and Fri-Sun 1000-1800, Thurs 1000-2000.
Admission charge: Y (Thurs free).
Disabled access: Y.
Galata Kulesi (Galata Tower)
The balcony at the top of Galata Tower has an unforgettable view of the city. Built in 1348 by the Genoese as part of their fortifications, this distinctive 62m (205ft) tower with conical roof is visible from most of Istanbul. It was converted to cater for tourism and has a lift, a nightclub and restaurant on the top floors with a tourist-oriented cabaret that includes belly dancing. On a clear day, the view is spectacular and it is possible to see the main monuments of Istanbul and even the Princes' Islands. It's a good way for visitors to get a feel of the surroundings and there are several charming tea gardens at the foot.
Büyük Hendek Sokak, Tünel
Tel: (0212) 293 8180.
Website: www.galatatower.net
Opening hours: Daily 0900-2000.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
