Istanbul

Commonly known as the Blue Mosque, the Sultan Ahmet Camii is one of the most striking structures on the Istanbul skyline. Constructed as an Islamic rival to the Hagia Sophia in 1609, its tiers of magnificent domes and six graceful minarets are immediately distinguishable. It is one of the finest examples of Ottoman architecture and is still used by hundreds of worshippers. The interior is splendidly decorated with thousands of blue and white Iznik tiles embellished with traditional Ottoman flower patterns, and it is this special feature that gives the mosque its name. Its design of successively descending smaller domes, soaring columns, and 260 stained glass windows leaves a lasting impression of graceful accord and open space. At the back of the mosque is a Carpet and Kilim Museum exhibiting antiques from all over Turkey.

Address : Sultan Ahmet Mahallesi, Atmeydanı Cd. No:7, Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey.

E-mail : [email protected]

Website : www.sultanahmetcamii.org

Telephone : +90 212 458 44 68

Transport : Disembark at the Sultanahmet tram stop.

Opening times : Open daily, access restricted during prayer times, especially at midday on Fridays. The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 9am and 4pm.

Admission : There is no charge for visiting the mosque, but the museum has a small entrance fee.

The Dolmabahce Palace was home to six Sultans from 1856, when it was first inhabited, up until the abolition of the Caliphate in 1924. The last royal to live here was Caliph Abdulmecid Efendi, before a law in 1924 transferred the ownership of the palace to the national heritage of the new Turkish Republic. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey, used the palace as a presidential residence during the summers and enacted some of his most important works here. Ataturk spent the last days of his medical treatment in this palace, where he died in 1938. The palace has an ostentatious interior of crystal chandeliers, while the exterior of the palace has a vast and beautiful garden.

Address : Vişnezade Mahallesi, Dolmabahçe Cd., Beşiktaş/İstanbul, Turkey.

E-mail : [email protected]

Website : www.millisaraylar.gov.tr

Telephone : +90 212 236 90 00

Opening times : Tuesday, Wednesday 9am-4pm. Friday to Sunday, 9am-4pm. Closed on Mondays and Thursdays.

Admission : Combined ticket for public and private rooms: TRY 60. Only 3,000 people are admitted per day.

The Galata Tower is a medieval stone tower in the Galata/Karakoy quarter of Istanbul, sitting north of the Golden Horn inlet to the Bosphorus. Called Galata Kulesi in Turkish, it was erected as a bastion for the walls of the 14th century colony of Galata. One of the city's most striking landmarks, the high cone-capped cylinder dominates the skyline and offers panoramic vistas of Istanbul's historic peninsula and old town. Today it is a sought-after conference venue, offering fine dining at its restaurant and belly dancing displays in its very own night club.

Address : Bereketzade Mahallesi, Galata Kulesi, Beyoğlu/İstanbul, Turkey.

E-mail : [email protected]

Website : www.galatakulesi.org

Transport : Centrally located, the Galata Tower is within easy reach using Istanbuls public transport systems.

Opening times : 9am-8.30pm, Monday to Sunday.

Admission : TRY 18.50

The oldest and biggest enclosed bazaar in the world, Kapalicarsi is one of the most enticing and mesmerizing attractions in Istanbul. Also known as the Grand Bazaar, it consists of a vast labyrinth of twisting streets crammed with more than 4,000 shops, teahouses, Turkish baths, mosques, storehouses, and fountains. It's a fascinating experience to wander around the alleyways, looking at and bargaining for an array of goods and services. Here you can find almost anything, from meerschaum pipes, carpets, jewellery, and Turkish delight, to textiles, spices, clothing, and hand-painted ceramics. Protracted bargaining over a cup of tea is an important institution. Built during the rule of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1461, the bazaar grew by covering an increasingly large area of shops and streets with roofs, arches, and domes. Eventually it became the centre of trading during the Ottoman Empire. Caravans of silk traders traditionally stayed here and rested their camels while selling their merchandise, and many of these caravanserais still exist as storehouses today.

Address : Kapali Çarsi, Beyazit to Eminönü Harbour.

E-mail : [email protected] is

Website : kapalicarsi.com.tr

Telephone : +90 212 519 12 48

Transport : Tram to Beyazit, Üniversite or Sirkeci.

Opening times : Open daily except Sundays from 8.30am to 7pm.

Admission : Free

The massive Hagia Sophia is one of Istanbul's most popular attractions, famous for its impressive size, remarkable architecture, and beautiful mosaics and frescoes. It was commissioned as a cathedral in the 6th century and remained the most important church in Christianity for over 900 years. In the 15th century Mehmet II conquered the city and converted it into a mosque, adding the minarets and fountains. It functioned as such for the next 481 years until the founding of the secular Turkish Republic in 1934 when it was declared a museum. Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest Byzantine buildings in the world, and the vast interior, with its huge, soaring dome, is extraordinary. The interior contains different features from its time as a cathedral and then as a mosque, including incredible Byzantine mosaics, icons, and marble columns, a mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca), and Islamic calligraphy inscriptions on the dome from the Ottoman period.

Address : Sultan Ahmet Mahallesi, Ayasofya Meydanı, Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey.

Website : ayasofyamuzesi.gov.tr/

Telephone : +90 (212) 522 17 50

Transport : Travellers should disembark at the Sultanahmet tram stop.

Opening times : Open daily: 9am-7pm.

Admission : TRY 40

The ancient Hippodrome of Constantinople was built between 200 and 300 as a stadium for horse racing, chariot racing, and other amusements. Seating up to 100,000 people, there isn't much remaining of the structure today. Now the site of the Hippodrome in Istanbul is a beautiful public park with a few remaining columns hinting at its grand past. The Obelisk of Tutmosis III, the Basilica Cistern, the Fountain of Wilhelm II, and the Serpentine and Constantine Columns are popular landmarks within the park, which also offers free wireless internet.

Address : Binbirdirek Mh., Sultan Ahmet Parkı No:2, Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey.

Transport : Sultanahmet tram.

Opening times : Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Also known as the Underground Cistern or Yerebatan Saray, this eerie cavern was built by Constantine the Great around 532 AD and is supported by 336 columns below ground. Once as a location for the James Bond film, From Russia with Love, today the cavern sees tourists crossing over 2 acres of 12 inch deep water on wooden walkways, taking in the occasional art exhibit or intricate designs on the columns themselves. There is a pleasant little cafe above where the eyes can adjust over some tea.

Address : Alemdar Mh., Yerebatan Cd. 1/3, Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey.

E-mail : [email protected]

Website : yerebatansarnici.com/

Telephone : +90 212 522 1259

Opening times : 9am-5.30pm daily.

Built by Mehmet the Conqueror as a sultan's palace, the Topkapi Sarayi consists of a collection of buildings arranged around several interconnecting courtyards. Situated on one of the seven hills of Istanbul with uninterrupted views over the Bosphorus River and the Golden Horn, it was the seat of the Ottoman Empire for almost four centuries. Home to nearly 3000 people, it served as a royal residence, harem, administration building, and military barracks. One of the most popular sections is the harem, once the quarters of about 300 women who were the sultans' wives and concubines, and their children. Visitors can view the apartments, halls, and terraces of the harem, and see the lavish royal bedchamber and imperial hall. No expense was spared in decorating the palace and its exquisitely designed rooms, intricately detailed fountains, and splendid treasury housing one of the greatest collections of treasure in the world. It affords insight into the opulent lifestyle of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire.

Address : Topkapi Sarayi, Sultanahmet

Website : www.topkapisarayi.gov.tr

Telephone : (212) 512 0480

Opening times : Open daily except Tuesdays from 9am-5pm

Admission : $10-15 (USD) depending on exchange rate; concessions available. The harem can only be visited on a guided tour and a separate ticket is required for $10.

The grand 16th century palace of the sultan's Grand Vizier, Ibrahim Pasa, today houses the Turkish and Islamic Art Museum, containing what many consider to be the greatest collection of Islamic artefacts in the world. The palace itself was the finest private residence ever built in the Ottoman Empire. From its supreme position overlooking the Hippodrome, the sultan could enjoy excellent views of the celebrations in the square below. The museum is well laid out and contains more than 40,000 examples of Selçuk, Mamluk, and Ottoman Turkish art, including ceramics, Koran cases, calligraphy, textiles, metalwork, and illuminated manuscripts. Its antique carpet exhibit is renowned, with the carpets, kilims, and prayer rugs forming one of the richest and oldest collections in the world.

Address : Ibrahim Pasa Sarayi, Atmeydani 46, Hippodrome, Sultanahmet

Website : muze.gov.tr

Telephone : +90 212 518 1805

Transport : Sultanahmet tram stop

Opening times : Open daily except Mondays from 9.30am-5.30pm

Admission : TRY 42