Information on Istanbul
Our Istanbul travel information guide here details sightseeing information on the main tourist attractions within Istanbul, Turkey. From ornate Ottoman palaces and elegant mosques, or older Byzantine churches with beautiful mosaics to many other ancient relics from this once powerful empire, find out more here...
THE BLUE MOSQUE |
| The Blue Mosque is so named because of the beautiful blue Iznik tiles decorating the interior. Officially called the 'Sultan Ahmet Mosque' by local people, it was built by Sultan Ahmet in 1609 and completed 7 years later... |
| blue mosque more | Old City Tour |
HAGIA SOPHIA |
| This massive church is one of the greatest architectural feats of its day - famed as the largest church in the world for 1000 years, it dates from the 6th century... |
| hagia sophia more | Old City Tour |
TOPKAPI PALACE |
| Soon after the city was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1453, Sultan Mehmet II - the Conqueror, began to build Topkapi Palace including the Harem. It was to be the main residence of the Ottoman Sultans till the 19th century, and today exhibits an outstanding treasury and Islamic relics collection... |
| topkapi palace more | Old City Tour |
SULEYMANIYE MOSQUE |
| Built by the greatest known architect of the Ottoman Empire - Sinan, between 1550 -1557, Suleymaniye Mosque stands as undoubtedly his greatest work in Istanbul... |
| suleymaniye more | Pera & Golden Horn Tour |
RUMELI FORTRESS |
| Situated on the narrowest point of the Bosphorus strait, with the aim of closing off aid to the flailing Byzantines, this was built by Sultan Mehmet II prior to the conquest of Istanbul... |
| rumeli fortress more | Bosphorus Shores Tour |
HIPPODROME |
| The Hippodrome served as an ancient racetrack where ancient chariot races, athletic competitions were held, and was centrally decorated with the Egyptian Obelisk and other famous columns... |
| hippodrome more | Old City Tour |
PERA & GALATA AREA |
| Pera, meaning 'opposite shore' to the harbor of the Golden Horn, or Galata in Byzantine times, is today's Taksim downtown and dining area. In its lifetime it has seen Jewish, Italian and French inhabitants and this is evident today in its variety of churches, historical buildings, picturesque arcades, old Ottoman hans and bazaars... |
| pera & galata more | Pera & Golden Horn Tour |
PRINCES' ISLANDS |
| There are a total of nine islands in the Sea of Marmara not far from the city of Istanbul, known as the Princes' Islands, as they served as the place of exile for disgraced princes in days gone by... |
| princes islands more | Princes' Islands Tour |
CHORA CHURCH |
| Chora church is famous for its beautiful mosaics depicting the life of Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, as well as other attractive frescoes from the 11th century, and are some of the most well preserved from the Roman era in Turkey... |
| chora church more | Pera & Golden Horn Tour |
DOLMABAHCE PALACE |
| Dolmabahce Palace was a decadent 19th century residence of the final 6 sultans of the fading Ottoman Empire, and is a sumptuously decorated elegant palace along the shore of the Bosphorus... |
| dolmabahce palace more | Bosphorus Shores Tour |
BEYLERBEYI PALACE |
| Built between 1861-1865 by the Balyan Brothers, it was used as the summer palace of the Ottoman sultans... |
| beylerbeyi palace more | Bosphorus Shores Tour |
GALATA TOWER |
| Galata Tower was built by a Genoese colony in 1348 as a part of their fortifications. From the early 13th century, after the fourth crusade, there had been a Genoese settlement in the city, as Latin Kings had been in power from 1204 - 1216... |
| galata tower more | Pera & Golden Horn Tour |
JEWISH INTEREST SITES IN ISTANBUL |
| Of the 25,000 Jews living in Turkey, 22,000 of them reside in Istanbul. Most of them are ancestors of those expelled from Spain in 1492. Although they are Orthodox Jews, their practices are a bit different... |
| jewish synagogues more | Jewish Heritage Tour |
UNDERGROUND CISTERN |
| The Underground Cistern today is a atmospherically spotlighted massive underground water cavern of beautiful arches and Roman support columns and their watery reflections, and used to be the Byzantine city's main water storage under siege or in hard times... |
| underground basilica cistern | Old City Tour |
SHOPPING IN ISTANBUL |
| Istanbul abounds with dazzling bazaars, colorful street markets, small local specialized merchants and great shopping malls... |
| shopping |
