World City Guide

Key Attractions

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 537AD, 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. The museum is now divided into two parts – the church and the mosaic gallery – each requiring a different ticket and often a long queue.

Sultanahmet, in front of Topkapi Palace
Tel: (0212) 522 1750.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0930-1630.
Admission charge.

Topkapi Palace
Originally built as a summer residence and the seat of government, Topkapi Palace was home to harem, state administration and military personnel in the 16th century, with around 3,000 residents. Sultans abandoned it for Dolmabahçe Palace in 1855, but many of the sumptuous jewels of the original treasury (including the Topkapi Dagger, and gold-plated throne of Murat III), the armoury, silk ceremonial robes, Chinese ceramics and the collection of manuscripts, all convey the old Ottoman decadence. The prison-like harem, which once housed up to 300 concubines, is only open to guided tours and requires a separate ticket. The palace is always crowded and has become expensive. To avoid lengthy queues, pre-booked tickets are recommended.

Seraglio Point, Sultanahmet
Tel: (0212) 512 0480.
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 0900-1730 (winter); Wed-Mon 0900-1900 (summer).
Admission charge.

Kapali Carsisi (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 (around 4,000 of them, in 60 streets) sell mainly tourist-friendly goods, including carpets, gold, leather and ceramics. The complex also contains two mosques, money change offices, a police station, cafes and an information point. Haggling is essential at most stalls.

Beyazit
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0700-1900.
Admission: Free.

Misir Carsisi (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 a plethora of souvenirs. Its surrounding streets are a hub of commercial activity, with local craftspeople, traders and a great selection of cheeses and olives.

Eminonu
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1900.
Admission: Free.

Sultanahmet Camii (Blue Mosque)
The Blue Mosque was built during the reign of Sultan Ahmet (1603-1617), as Islam’s answer to Haghia Sophia, and remains the symbol and centre of religious demonstrations. Blue Iznik tiles dominate the interior, and blue light shines through more than 250 windows. The interior is stunning, from vast central dome designed to lift all eyes heavenward, the latticework-covered Imperial Loge and the mihrab (prayer niche) containing a piece of sacred black stone from Mecca. At dusk during summer there is a Son et Lumière show. The Imperial Pavilion also contains a state-run Carpet Museum with Usak, Bergama and Konya samples, dating between the 16th and 19th centuries.

Hippodrome, Sultanahmet
Tel: (0212) 518 1330 (carpet museum).
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours, except during some prayer times; Carpet Museum: Tues-Sat 0900-1600.
Admission: Free.

Yerebatan Sarayi (Basilica Cistern)
Sometimes referred to as the Sunken Palace, the Basilica Cistern was the reservoir for water required for the Byzantine Great Palace, and 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 336 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). 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.
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700.
Admission charge.

Suleymaniye Mosque
Although fewer tourists make it here than to the Blue Mosque, this is even grander and more peaceful, and one of the finest creations by Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan. The huge 53m-high dome and pencil-slim minarets from each corner of the courtyard are an exquisite example of symmetry and elegance. Built in the 1550s, the site also contains the tombs of Sinan, Sultans Suleyman II and Ahmet II 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.

Siddik Sami Onar Caddesi, Suleymaniye
Tel: (0212) 513 3608.
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1630. Closed to non-Muslims during prayer times.
Admission: Free (Donation requested).

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 the city. It was converted to cater for tourism, which thankfully includes a lift, plus a nightclub and restaurant on the top floors. On a clear day, it is possible to see the main monuments of Istanbul and even Princes’ Islands. There is a charming tea garden at the foot.

Buyuk Hendek Sokak, Tunel
Tel: (0212) 245 3263.
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1900.
Admission charge.

Taksim Square and Istiklal Caddesi
The square is the nucleus of Istanbul’s modern European side, which many tourists unfortunately miss. In the south-west corner is the Monument of Independence, where the busy Istiklal Caddesi starts and cuts through Beyoglu area. This 1.5km (1 mile) pedestrianised boulevard is lined with shops, cinemas, markets and restaurants, and crowded especially at night. Its 19th-century European consulates, churches and ornate buildings are evidence that Beyoglu was once the centrepiece for an Art Nouveau Belle Époque, and later the hang-out for bohemian artists and intellectuals. Highlights include the stained glass at the entrance to Cicek Pasaj (Flower Passage), the imposing Galatasaray Lisesi (High School) and various contemporary art galleries (free).

Beyoglu
Opening hours: Most shops open till 2100, later on Fri-Sat.
Admission: Free.

Great Palace Mosaic Museum
The small Mosaic Museum, tucked behind the Blue Mosque amid an alleyway full of tourist shops, contains all that is left of the magnificent flooring of Bucoleon Palace. This was the Great Palace of the Byzantine emperors, which once covered the area from the Hippodrome to Haghia Sophia and down to the harbour. Discovered in the 1950s, these mosaics depict mythological and hunting scenes, including that of two men subduing a tiger. They are thought to date from the reign of Justinian (527-565AD) or even earlier and to have been part of the walkway between the royal apartments and the imperial seats (kathisma) at the Hippodrome.

Arasta Bazaar, Sultanahmet
Tel: (0212) 518 1205.
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 0930-1630.
Admission charge.

Turk ve Esleri Müzesi (Turkish and Islamic Art Museum)
Originally the 16th-century palace of Süleyman the Magnificent’s most able Grand Vizier, Ibrahim Pasha, this museum contains more than 40,000 items dating 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.

Hippodrome 46, Sultanahmet
Tel: (0212) 518 1805.
Website: www.tiem.org
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0900-1700 (winter); Tues-Sun 0900-1730 (summer).
Admission charge.

Archeoloji Müzeleri (Archaeological Museums)
Istanbul’s Archeology Museums are located in three separate buildings, once part of the Topkapi Palace complex. The main building houses the famous fourth-century Alexander sarcophagus discovered in Lebanon, as well as the facade of the Temple to Athena from Assos, Byzantine mosaics and sarcophagi. The interior of the Çinili Kösk (Tiled Pavilion), built in 1472, is covered in Iznik tiles and contains the 14th-century royal blue Karaman Mihrab (prayer niche). The Museum of the Ancient Orient includes the Treaty of Kadesh, drawn up between the Egyptians and Hittites in 1269BC, plus a magnificent frieze of a bull from Babylon.

Topkapi Palace, Seraglio Point, Sultanahmet
Tel: (0212) 520 7740.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0930-1630; subject to change, due to understaffing.
Admission charge.

Yildiz Park
Rising above the area of Besiktas, Yildiz is a welcome relief from the noise of the city, with woodland and landscaped gardens. Sultan Abdul Hamit built them for the Ciragan Palace (now a 5-star hotel over the main road) where Sultans strolled and hunted since the 17th-century, now more popular with courting couples and picnicking families, busiest at weekends. At the top are Malta Kosk and Cadir Kosk, two attractive 19th-century pavilions originally part of the palace, whose guests included Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle, and now operating as restaurants and cafés. The park also houses Yildiz Palace Museum, Imperial Porcelain Factory and City Museum.

Yildiz Park, Ciragan Caddesi, Besiktas.
Tel: (0212) 258 90 20.
Opening hours: Daily, dawn till dusk.
Entry: Free for pedestrians; charge for taxis.