Places to see in Istanbul

·        Sultanahmet Cami (The Blue Mosque)

The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior.It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. While still used as a mosque, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque has also become a popular tourist attraction.

After the Peace of Zsitvatorok and the unfavourable result of the wars with Persia, Sultan Ahmed I decided to build a large mosque in Istanbul to placate Allah. This would be the first imperial mosque to be built in more than forty years. Whereas his predecessors had paid for their mosques with their war booty, Sultan Ahmed I had to withdraw the funds from the treasury, because he had not won any notable victories. This provoked the anger of the ulema, the Muslim legal scholars.The mosque was to be built on the site of the palace of the Byzantine emperors, facing the Hagia Sophia (at that time the most venerated mosque in Istanbul) and the hippodrome, a site of great symbolic significance. Large parts of the southern side of the mosque rest on the foundation and vaults of the Great Palace. Several palaces had already built there, most notably the palace of Sokollu Mehmet Paşa, so these first had to be bought at a considerable cost and pulled down. Large parts of the Sphendone (curved tribune with U-shaped structure of the hippodrome) were also removed to make room for the new mosque.Construction of the mosque started in August 1609 when the sultan himself came to break the first sod. It was his intention that this would become the first mosque of his empire. He appointed his royal architect Sedefhar Mehmet Ağa, a pupil and senior assistant of the famous architect Mimar Sinan to be in charge of the construction. The organization of the work was described in meticulous detail in eight volumes, now found in the library of the Topkapı Palace. The opening ceremonies were held in 1617 (although the inscription on the gate of the mosque says 1616). The sultan could now pray in the royal box (hünkâr mahfil). The building was not yet finished in this last year of his reign, as the last accounts were signed by his successor Mustafa I. Known as the Blue Mosque, Sultan Ahmed Mosque is one of the most impressive monuments in the world.

·        Eyüp Sultan Cami ( Eyup Mosque )

The first mosque built after the conquest of Istanbul, the great Mosque of Eyüp lies outside the city walls in Eyüp district, near the Golden Horn, at the supposed place where Eyüp (Eyyub el Ensari), the standard bearer of the Prophet Muhammed, died in the Islamic assault on Constantinople (Istanbul) in 670. Today it's considered as the second place of pilgrimage for Muslims after Mecca.

Mosques are open from morning prayer till night prayer.

   ·        Topkapı Sarayı ( Topkapı Palace )

It was turned into a museum in 1924 and has become one of the most attractive palace-museums in the world. The most attractive exhibition halls of the palace are: treasury, Islamic holly relics, costumes of the sultans, divan, harem, kitchens, Chinese porcelains and several kiosks such as the Baghdad, Revan, Sofa and Mecidiye. There are appealing eating and resting facilities for visitors on the palace grounds with a great view.

Open daily between 9:30-5:00p.m.except Tuesdays.

Tel: (212) 512 04 80  (212) 512 04 80  

An enterance fee of 20 TL for the palace and if desired 15 TL additional for Harem.

·        Dolmabahce Sarayı ( Dolmabahce Palace )

Open daily between 9:00-4:00 p.m. except Mondays & Thursdays

Tel: (212) 236 90 00 (212) 236 90 00

Enterance fee:  20 TL

·        Yerebatan Sarayi (Cistern Basilica)

Open daily between 09:00-18:30

Tel: (212) 522 12 59 - (212) 522 12 59

Enterance fee:  20 TL

·        Aya Sofya Müzesi (Haghia Sophia Museum)

 

The Church of the Divine Wisdom (Hagia Sophia in Greek) in Sultanahmet, is one of the most impressive and important buildings ever constructed.Its wide, flat dome was a daring engineering feat in the 6th century, and architects still marvel at the building's many innovations.Hagia Sophia in Greek, Sancta Sophia in Latin, Ayasofya in Turkish, it was built on the site of Byzantium's acropolis by Emperor Justinian (527-65 AD) in 537 AD.

Ayasofya was the greatest church in Christendom, and was meant to be. According to Prof. Robert Osterhout, it was built to surpass the gigantic Church of St Polyeuchtos erected by Julia Anitzia, scion of the line of Theodosian emperors. Julia meant her church, a "recreation" of the Temple of Jerusalem, to symbolize her wealth, power and legitimate claim to the throne of Byzantium. Justinian had to out-build her to establish his own legitimacy—and he did. His church remained the largest church ever built until St Peter's Basilica was constructed in Rome a thousand years later. Julia's church was destroyed by an earthquake. You can see a few pitiful ruins of it near the traffic under/overpass between the Istanbul Belediye Sarayı (City Hall) and Aqueduct of Valens (Bozdoğan Kemeri).

Being the world's most impressive building, it's no wonder that Mehmet the Conqueror proclaimed it a mosque soon after his conquest of the city from the Byzantines in 1453.

It served as Istanbul's most revered mosque until 1935 till Atatürk recognized its world-historical significance, had it proclaimed a museum, as it is now.

Although most of the building is still a museum, a room on the east side was opened in 2007 as a prayer-place and the call to prayer is proclaimed from the minaret above it.

Ayasofya is awe-inspiring—one of the first things to see when you're in Istanbul. It's right next to Topkapı Palace, the Blue Mosque and the Byzantine Hippodrome, and right across the street from Yerebatan, the Sunken Palace Cistern.The 30 million gold tesserae (tiny mosaic tiles) which cover the church's interior—especially the dome—are now being restored to the brilliance they boasted 1500 years ago. The interior was filled with scaffolding for more than 17 years, but as of February 2010, much of the scaffolding has been removed, so if you visited before when the scaffolding was in place, you may want to visit again. There's more to see, and it looks far better, since the restoration. Be sure to climb to the mezzanine level to see the splendid Byzantine mosaics.

Open daily between 09:30-16:30 except Mondays.

Tel: (212) 522 17 50 - (212) 522 17 50

Enterance fee:  20 TL

·        Taksim Meydanı (Taksim Square)

This big city square is considered as the heart of the modern Istanbul. Many hotels and restaurants can be found around here and on Istiklal Street. There is a big bus terminal for public transportation and the main subway station.

·        Beyoğlu ve İstiklal Caddesi (Beyoglu and Istiklal Street)

Beyoglu near Taksim Square is a part of the heart of Istanbul, it's a great way to get away from the old city and enjoy modern Istanbul as the locals do. There is so much going on in the approximately 2,5 kilometers long street between the Tunnel funicular stop near Galata Tower and Taksim Square that you can spend a whole day here. You can find a brief of Istanbul in every corner, there is a hidden story of the city everywhere. Religions, languages and ethnic groups live brotherly around these premises, it's the center of art and culture, many national, international and local activities reach art lovers through the neighborhood.

Beyoglu is a residential area consisting of 45 districts and about 225,000 residents, but the daily population reaches up to a million being the center of commerce, entertainment and culture. It's one of the most important tourist points and one of the most famous avenues of the city, the distinguished brands of business and entertainment world serves in this area as well. Many exquisite boutiques, music and bookstores, libraries, art galleries, cinemas, theaters, cafes, bars, restaurants, pubs, coffee houses, patisseries, chocolateries, and technological centers are lined on Istiklal Street.

Beyoglu has a large number of foreigners of all nationalities living in this neighborhood. The area is also home to significant Turkish Christian and Jewish communities, there are several churches and synagogues.

Across Galatasaray Square there are some significant historic buildings such as the Cicek Pasaji (The Flower Courtyard) with many small restaurants and taverns, and Balik Pazari (Fish Market) where you can find some fresh fish and vegetables.

To the end of this pedestrian street towards Galata, there is Tunnel, the world's second-oldest subway, connecting Pera district with Karakoy district on the Golden Horn. Next to this you can also see Divan Literature Museum which is called as Galata Mevlevihane belonging to Mevlevi order founded by Mevlana, where Whirling Dervish ceremonies are performed twice a month.Old Galata and Pera districts were inhabited since the Byzantine Empire. During the 19th century Ottoman Empire, the street was known as Grande Rue de Pera and the district became a center for foreigners, Levantines, Ottoman intellectuals and western culture admirers. After 1923 the street's name was changed to Istiklal (Independence in Turkish) to commemorate the War of Independence led by Ataturk.

·        Nişantaşı Caddesi,  famous for its luxurious shops..

·        Ortakoy, sea view and a small market with little staff especially for women

·        Çemberlitaş Hamamı (Cemberlitas Bath)

The Cemberlitas Hammam is located next to the Cemberlitas Column, near the Grand Bazaar. It was built by architect Sinan with the wish of Nurbanu Sultan, mother of Sultan Murat III and wife of Selim II, in 1584 to provide a source of revenue for the Valide-i Atik Mosque in Uskudar.

It's open everyday between 06.00-24.00.
·        Kapalicarsi (Grand Bazaar)

Built in the 15th century as a complex of 3,000 shops selling raw materials to be used in clothes manufacturing, the Covered Bazaar fulfills a viable commercial function to this day. The Bazaar's fine shops and exotic atmosphere, mingling the ancient and new, make it a "must-see" in Istanbul. It's divided into many sections such as leather, rugs, souvenirs, copper, antiques, textile etc. There are 18 gates and 60 streets inside. Open everyday except Sundays and National Holidays.

·        Misir Carsisi (The Egyptian Spice Bazaar)

     Built in the 17th century next to the Golden Horn, the Spice Bazaar is the second largest covered bazaar in Istanbul. Originally housing shops selling medicine and spices, the Spice Bazaar continues to fulfill its original function. This distinguished example of Ottoman architecture continues to sparkle with life even today. Open everyday except Sundays and National Holidays.

·        Miniaturk

Built in 2003 on a 60,000-square-meter site in the Golden Horn, it is the largest miniature city in the world and has attracted lots of interest and is located opposite the Pierre Loti Coffee House in Eyup district, a favorite with tourists.

Open daily between 09:00-17:00

·        Çamlıca Tepesi –(Camlica Hill)

Situated on the Asian side of Istanbul, this 262mt hill provides a panoramic view of the city and has nice cafeterias to enjoy Turkish tea or coffee. It is also a well known spot for watching migrating birds over the Bosphorus. Open every day.

        ·         Anadoluhisari (Anatolian Fortress)A 14th century relic of the Ottoman Empire's first attempt to conquer Istanbul, Anatolian Fortress is located on the Asian shore of Istanbul at the narrowest point of the Bosphorus strait. Sultan Yildirim Bayezit built this fortress in 1393 on the ruins of a Byzantine temple dedicated to Zeus. It's much smaller in size when you compare with Rumelihisari fortress lying on the European side, just on the opposite. Today, it's an open air museum.

     ·        Rumelihisari (Rumeli Fortress)

Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror built Rumeli Fortress in four months only and directly opposite to Anadoluhisari fortress in 1452 in preparation for the final attack on Constantinople (modern Istanbul), which led to the downfall of the Byzantine Empire. Today, the fortress hosts many concerts and dramatic performances in its amphitheatre usually during the summer months. The fort is open to the public as a museum everyday, except on Wednesdays.

·        Galata Kulesi (Galata Tower)

A 55 meter tower providing a panoramic view of the old town, Galata Kulesi was built by the Genoese as part of the defense wall surrounding their district of Galata directly opposite Byzantium (Constantinopolis). The Genoese used to trade with the Byzantines and the tower was used for the surveillance of the Harbor in the Golden Horn. After the conquest of Constantinople by Mehmet II it served to detect fires in the city. The tower now houses a restaurant and a night club. Today there is an elevator but there are still three more floors to climb by stairs to get on the panoramic terrace. It's open from early morning until late at night everyday. An enterance fee applies.

·        Kız Kulesi (Leander's Tower - Maiden Tower)

A 12th century stone tower erected on a rock at the entrance of the Bosphorus by Byzantine Emperor Manuel Komnenos. Kız Kulesi tower, which has served as a prison and a lighthouse, became the source of many legends in ancient days, such as Leander's or Maiden's. It's now open to the public as a cafeteria & elegant restaurant which hosts concerts and meetings as well. Transportation to the Tower is made by private shuttle boats from both shores of the Bosphorus. European side from Kabataş.