Blue Mosque in Istanbul

Istanbul is one of the great travel destinations in the world, and it is not surprising to know that it is one of the most visited cities.

Its magnificent location on two continents, the enormous quantity and quality of its historical monuments, its modern vitality, its gastronomy, and its good hotel offer make Istanbul a classic on the lists of desired trips.

Istanbul is a vast city, the most populous in Europe, and has been the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires.

Suleiman Mosque in Istanbul

Such is the number of attractive and exciting places. Offers that it is impossible to get to know them all in a visit of a few days. There will always be things pending that will justify a new visit.

It is straightforward to combine a stay of a few days in Istanbul with a tour to other areas of Turkey, be it the Aegean Coast, Cappadocia, the Turkish Riviera, or any other less visited but equally exciting areas in the interior of Anatolia.

14 places to see and visit in Istanbul

We have selected 14 places to visit on a sightseeing trip to Istanbul and Turkey.

There are many more which guarantee that it is an exceptional destination that is well worth spending several days enjoying its attractions.

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

Hagia Sophia is a great monument that stands out from the immense number of architectural and cultural wonders in Istanbul.
For many, this visit is the tremendous cultural experience of any trip to this city; logically, it is the most visited monument in the city.
There is no comparison anywhere else in the world.
For more than nine centuries, it was the largest church in Christendom and then, for almost five centuries, the most splendid mosque in Islam.
Since 1934 it has functioned as a museum, but since the summer of 2020, it has had the status of a mosque again.

Although the exterior is inconspicuous, its interior is one of the most splendid on the planet, both for the space created and for the wealth of construction materials and the beauty of the artistic works, especially the Byzantine mosaics.

Going from being a museum to being a mosque again, the visiting rules have changed, which are now subject to free hours between the periods dedicated to prayer, as is the case in all mosques in Turkey.

Blue Mosque in Istanbul

The Sultan Ahmet Mosque, known to all as the Blue Mosque, is one of the most appreciated monuments by visitors.

It is the last great imperial mosque of importance, occupying a part of the grounds of the Hippodrome and the Great Byzantine Palace.

Blue Mosque in Istanbul

It is accessed through a porticoed patio with the exact dimensions of the prayer room.

The light that enters through its 260 windows dazzles and makes the 20,000 Iznik tiles covering the interior shine.

The mosque's nickname is because most of these tiles are blue, turquoise, and green.

Built at the beginning of the 17th century, it is very showy, but all its lavish aspects mask the inability of the architects to innovate on previous constructions.

Little Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

If you have a little time, you should go to the old church of San Sergius and San Baco, which is located about 500 meters from the Blue Mosque.

Little Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

It has a curious structure, that of an irregular quadrangle in which an octagon is inscribed that holds the dome.

Among the most interesting details are the capitals that crown the marble columns; some of them still show the monograms of Justinian and Theodora.

These are some of the details that have fostered the nickname "Little Santa Sofía."

Entrance to the Council Chamber of the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul

Topkapi Palace in Istanbul

Topkapi Palace, or Topkapi Sarayi, is the sultans' grand palace in Constantinople, the largest and most important monument of Ottoman civil architecture.

It was the residence of the Ottoman sultans and the seat of the political power of the empire from the mid-15th century to the mid-19th century.

In addition to its architectural and historical value, it is a true museum that displays an almost incalculable amount of jewels, manuscripts, porcelain, armor, rich fabrics, and works of art that belonged to the sultans.

A complete tour includes pavilions, rooms of the Treasury, the Harem, and a beautiful view of the Bosphorus.

Along the way, it is easy for the imagination to run wild when thinking of stories full of mysteries and intrigues involving sultans, viziers, eunuchs, odalisques, janissaries, and concubines.

Underground Cistern in Istanbul

Underground cistern in Istanbul

Yerebatan Sarayi, known as the Underground Cistern or the Basilica Cistern, is located a few steps away from the Hagia Sophia and is one of the most curious remains of the Byzantine period in Istanbul.
It is the oldest surviving underground cistern and stored the water destined for the imperial palace and continued to be used by the Ottomans to serve the Topkapi Palace.
Its interior is a space supported by 336 columns, some from previous buildings.
The most unique point is that of the columns supported by carved blocks representing Gorgon heads.

The fact that they are turned upside down adds a point of strangeness to the place.

Hippodrome in Istanbul

Istanbul Hippodrome

The Hippodrome was the true social heart of ancient Constantinople, where everyone came to the party and discussed politics. It is thought that it could hold 100,000 spectators in its 40-row stands.
The only thing that remains, apart from the free space now converted into a very elongated square, are three monuments that adorned the spine, the central podium around which the races were held.
They are the obelisk of Constantine, made of roughly hewn blocks; the obelisk of Theodosius, which was brought from the Karnak temple in Egypt; and the Serpentine Column.
This column was erected in the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi, in Greece, to commemorate the victory over the Persians at the Battle of Plataea.

Istanbul Grand Bazaar in Turkey
Over time it has lost the three serpent heads that crowned it, and at almost 2,500 years old, it is the oldest monument that can be found in Istanbul.
The Hippodrome is now Sultanhame t Square and is very popular with locals and visitors.

Istanbul Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar has been, for more than five centuries, one of the most important social institutions in the city and embodies the commercial character of Istanbul that continuously adapts to new times.
Its name is Kapali Çarsi, Covered Bazaar, and it is like a small city of 65 streets with thousands of shops and workshops as well as warehouses, fountains, mosques, cafes and restaurants.

Istanbul Grand Bazaar in Turkey
The best way to go through it is to walk without a specific objective, letting yourself be carried away by the stimuli received at each moment, absorbing the environment without trying to go through each and every one of the corners.
Getting lost is part of the visit.

Suleiman Mosque in Istanbul

The Suleiman Mosque is the most splendid in all of Ottoman Istanbul and is the best work in the Ottoman capital of Mimar Sinan, the most important architect of the empire.
Undoubtedly, it is the most important Ottoman building in Istanbul, second only to Hagia Sophia in magnificence.

Interior of the Suleiman Mosque in Istanbul
It is located on top of a hill and is visible from many points in the city.
Its silhouette stands out above all when viewed from the Galata Bridge in the Golden Horn area.
You must know that the mosque is part of a külliye, a complex of related and jointly managed buildings that includes schools, baths, hospitals, kitchens, caravanserai, cemetery, etc.

Egyptian Bazaar in Istanbul

The Egyptian Bazaar is one of the most attractive in Istanbul and the second largest after the Grand Bazaar. It is part of the dependent complex of the New Mosque, the Yeni Cami, and its profits helped finance the complex.

Grand Egyptian Bazaar Misir Carsisi at Eminönü in Istanbul
It is also known as the Spice Market since it used to specialize in medicinal herbs and spices.
It consists of two corridors that meet at right angles at the ends, forming a kind of "L".
Each corridor is flanked by an infinity of stores, among which there are many spices, sweets, dried fruits, soaps, fabrics, perfumes and teas.
Don't miss the lively atmosphere in the surrounding streets, where shops, many of them food and home goods, take their wares out onto the street.

Rustem Pasha Mosque in Istanbul

The Rüstem Pasha Mosque is a little gem built by Sinan, the creator of the great Suleiman Mosque, and despite its small size, it is one of the most beautiful in Istanbul.

Grand Egyptian Bazaar at Eminönü in Istanbul
Rüstem Pasha was Grand Vizier to Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and became the richest and most powerful man in the empire.
The mosque opens onto a courtyard, unique in the city as it is situated on a terrace, through a double porch, which is also somewhat unusual.
The rent paid by the shops that occupy the ground floor of this structure has been used to defray the expenses of this institution for centuries.
The mosque is especially famous for its extraordinary tile decoration covering almost all the walls.
They belong to the period of greatest splendour of the Iznik school, the most famous in the Ottoman Empire.

Galata Bridge at Eminönü in Istanbul

Galata Bridge in Istanbul

The Galata Bridge is one of the liveliest spots in the entire city, and it will be impossible not to pass it several times during a sightseeing tour of Istanbul.
This bridge crosses the Golden Horn, the arm of the sea that separates the historic centre and a more modern area historically known as Pera or Gálata.
The bridge is used by cars and the tram, but there are also pedestrian crossings, and at some point, you will have to cross it on foot to enjoy the views and the atmosphere.
The bridge is usually occupied by fishermen lined up along the railings.

Üç Yildiz pastry shop in Istanbul's Beyoglu neighborhood

There is a lower deck of the bridge where numerous bars and restaurants are located.
Having a drink in any of them at nightfall while the lights come on, the silhouettes of the mosques are silhouetted against the horizon, and the ferries come and go from the pier. It is an experience not to be missed.

Beyoglu in Istanbul

The Beyoglu neighbourhood is very different from the historical centre where the well-known grand monuments such as the Grand Bazaar, Hagia Sophia, Suleyman Mosque and Topkapi Palace are located.
It is where foreign communities, embassies and churches were established and wherein the 20th century, the great hotels, the most luxurious shops and the most sumptuous private buildings were built.

Galata Tower in Beyoglu district of Istanbul
The hub of the neighbourhood is Istiklal Caddesi, Independence Avenue, which runs between Taksim Square and Tünel.
Although it is not apparent at first glance, the avenue runs along the crest of a hill, which will provide the best surprises of the route at some point, since from the roofs of the buildings, some occupied by bars and restaurants, there are impressive views from the city, the Bosphorus and the surrounding area.
The Galata Tower is the oldest and most spectacular monument in this area.
The views over the city, the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus are magnificent from the top.

Bosphorus in Istanbul

Istanbul is the only city in the world located on two continents and the Bosphorus, the strait that separates Asia from Europe, is one of the biggest attractions on any visit.

Anadolu Kavagi port on the Bosphorus in Istanbul
The Bosphorus measures just over 30 kilometres, separating the Black Sea from Marmara, but it is full of attractions.
There are different ways to get around it, and the easiest and cheapest way is to take the public ferry that departs from the Eminönü terminal (near the southern end of the Galata Bridge ) and travels to Anadolu Kavagi, the end of the route.
This ship is a kind of water bus that makes different stops along the way as it zigzags between various ports distributed between Asia and Europe.
Upon arrival in Anadolu Kavagi, there is time to visit the town and eat at one of the many restaurants along the strait before catching the boat back to Istanbul.
Make the trip on a sunny day.

Dolmagahce Palace in Istanbul

Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul

When in the mid-19th century, the Ottoman sultans considered Topkapi Palace outdated, they decided to move to the Bosphorus area.
Several palaces were built there, among which Dolmabahçe is the most spectacular, and overlooks the Bosphorus from its western shore, the European one.
Its main facade is the one that overlooks the strait and stands out, especially when taking a ferry trip.
The visit is a journey through an almost endless series of rooms of all kinds, among which there are many halls, whether reception rooms, religious ceremonies, or the throne room.
A stroll through the surrounding gardens is not to be missed.