Galata Tower
Although it is not completely certain as to when the Galata Tower was built, it is claimed that it was built during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor, Justinian's in 507 CE. It becomes the most recognizable landmark of the Golden Horn. The cylindrical tower with its conical cap rises high above all other buildings on the east bank of the Golden Horn and provides a magnificent 360-degree view of Istanbul. The region of Galata was famous for its several Latin Catholic churches, most of which were destroyed by fires so you may not really see any nowadays. It has ever been a place where people from many religions and races got shelters.
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Suleymaniye Mosque
TSüleymaniye Mosque (Süleymaniye Camii) is not only stunning, it was built in the 16th century by the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan for Sultan Suleyman the Magnificient, also known as the Legislator. It stands on a hilltop (3rd hill) dominating the Golden Horn and contributing to the skyline of Istanbul. The mosque is the largest mosque of Istanbul. It is less ornate respect to the other mosques of the time, but its simple decorations give another atmosphere to this masterpiece. Today Suleyman's Mosque is one of the most popular sights in Istanbul. Normally tourists enter the mosque from the inner courtyard and after taking the shoes off. Camera and flash are allowed.
Dolmabahce Palace
Dolmabahce Palace built in 19th century is one of the most glamorous palaces in the world. It was the administrative center of the late Ottoman Empire with the last of Ottoman Sultans was residing there. It has a great meaning for Turkish people since the supreme leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk had used the palace as a residence and spent the most serious period of his illness. It is also home to the world's largest Bohemian crystal chandelier, a gift from Queen Victoria. The palace has survived intact with its unique decorations, the silk carpets furniture and curtains. It surpasses all other palaces in the world in wealth and magnificence.
Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşı), constructed in the 15th century, is the oldest covered market on the planet. Covering a territory of 54.653 square meters, it likewise still ranks as one of the world's biggest covered markets. It is a maze of 56 interconnecting vaulted passages, housing over 4.000 shops with persistent shopkeepers eager to use their relentless sales tricks. Here is the place shoppers will find old coins, jewelry with precious gems, inlaid weapons, and antique furniture. Travelers who love to shop shouldn't miss out on a visit here!
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a great architectural beauty and an important monument both for Byzantine and for Ottoman Empires. Although once a church, later a mosque, and now a museum, it has always been the precious at the Turkish Republic of its time. It was first built in the fourth century and inaugurated in 360. After a fire in 404 it was replaced by the second church, which was burned again in 532. The present church was mainly erected between 532 and 537 during the reign of Justinian. At one time, it was the largest cathedral in the world, and served as the inspiration for other mosques, including the Blue Mosque, as it was such a great example of Byzantine architecture.
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Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque is an historical mosque in Istanbul. The mosque is known as the Blue Mosque because of blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design. It was constructed between 1609 and 1616 years, during the rule of Ahmed I. Hundreds of Muslims still use the mosque for daily prayer and worship. Visitors of all faiths who are modestly dressed may enter the Blue Mosque; special slippers and head and shoulder coverings are distributed at the entrance. An ideal approach to see great architecture of the Blue Mosque is to approach it from the Hippodrome. (West side of the mosque) As if you are non-Muslim visitor, you also have to use the same direction to enter the Mosque.
Chora Church
The church was destroyed during the Latin invasion (1204-1261) and repaired in the reign of Andronikos II (1282-1328). It was expanded towards the north, an exonarthex was added to its western side and a chapel (Parecclesion) to its southern side, and it was decorated with mosaics and frescoes. The mosaics exhibit the new weightiness and smoothness that is seen in Late Byzantine art. As is seen of the Koimesis Mosaic, the bodies are more modeled, are delicately shaded, and have mass???the figures appear to stand on the ground instead of float.
Basilica Cistern
The Basilica Cistern, situated in the crowded Eminönü district of Istanbul next to the Hagia Sophia, was constructed to give water to the city of Istanbul during the reign of Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century CE. A visit there leaves travelers raving about the technology the ancient Romans used to build this architectural wonder that was very advanced for its day. Today it has been completely renovated. Known as the Sunken Palace, the cistern could hold up to 2.8 million cubic feet of water. It is one of the locations used in From Russia with Love, a James Bond thriller filmed in 1963. Water still drips melancholically through the ceiling, and the brick-domed ceiling echoes classical music.
Topkapi Palace
Topkapi is the largest and oldest palace in the world to survive to our day. In 1924, it was turned into a museum at Atatiirk's request. Located on the Acropolis, the site of the first settlement in Istanbul, it commands an impressive view of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara. It is the subject of more vivid stories than most of the world's museums set up together. Libidinous sultans, aspiring courtiers, beautiful concubines, and scheming eunuchs lived and worked here between the 15th and 19th centuries when it was the court of the Ottoman empire. Visitors can get a glimpse of the harem's quarters, where the government worked, a collection of old weapons used by the sultans and the treasury with its collection of jewels and clocks.
Istanbul Archaeological Museum
The Istanbul Archaeology Museums is a group of three archeological museums located in the Eminönü district of Istanbul, Turkey, near Gülhane Park and Topkapi Palace.They are the Archaeological Museum, Museum of the Ancient Orient and Museum of Islamic Art. It houses over 1 million objects that represent almost all of the eras and civilizations in world history. Among these three, Museum of the Ancient Orient is the oldest one with one-of-a-kind treasures like the tiled reliefs of lions and kings from the fable Gates of Ninevah. If you want to see every item on display and read the fantastic accompanying explanatory labels in both English and Turkish, you'll need more than one day.
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