What to Visit in Istanbul? Information

Eminönü: Eminönü is a historic neighborhood, in what was the heart of the ancient Byzantium and Constantinople. Before it was listed as an entire district of Istanbul, but as its population decreased due to its tourist environment, it became part of the Fatih District. In Eminönü converge the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus, which opens to the Sea of ​​Marmara. It is the most tourist area of ​​Istanbul, because it has among its places of interest the Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Grand Bazaar, the Bazaar of Species, and mosques as beautiful and famous as the Sultanahmet (Blue Mosque), the Mosque New and that of Süleymaniye. Eminönu is reached by all possible routes: it is on the tram route, it has a bus stop in all directions, a ferry station, a subway and a beautiful old train station.

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia is the best-known image of Istanbul, an image that has lived the history of the city for almost 1500 years. It is a masterpiece of Byzantine art. After three construction periods as a church, it was converted into a mosque in 1453 by Sultan Mehmet II, after the capture of Constanatinopla.

Blue Mosque

Built by Sultan Ahmed I between 1609 and 1616, the Blue Mosque is the most famous in Istanbul and the only one with six minarets. Although the locals know it as Sultanahmet Mosque, it has become famous, among other things, for the incredible work in its interiors with blue mosaics from Iznik, which gives the place a charming and unmistakable atmosphere.

Palacıo Topkapı

The Topkapi Palace is the best reflection of the greatness reached by Constantinople. From there the sultans ruled the Ottoman Empire until the mid-nineteenth century. Located between the Golden Horn and the Sea of ​​Marmara, Topkapı is composed of small buildings and four courtyards or gardens, secular style Turkish, surrounded by a Byzantine wall. The palace covers an area of ​​700 thousand m².

Basilica Cîteaux

Without being one of the typical visits of tourist guides, the Cistern Basilica (or Submerged Palace) is one of the places we like most in Istanbul. With an entrance that usually goes unnoticed, this underground cistern is the size of a cathedral and inside it there are two columns of incognito origin, which bear the face of Medusa.

Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the oldest and largest indoor bazaars in the world, with 60 streets, alleys and more than 4 thousand shops. Visiting Istanbul involves visiting the Grand Bazaar, with patience and good humor, talking with its vendors, enjoying its lamps, hookah pipes, jewelry, furniture, jewelry, clothing, ornaments and souvenirs of all kinds, and walk through its narrow streets labyrinth

Galata Tower

Occupied by Sultan Mehmet II during the conquest of Constantinople, the Galata Tower is one of the oldest towers in the world. In its beginnings, it worked as a lighthouse. It has nine floors and more than 65 meters high. The views from your viewpoint are unmissable.

San Salvador in Chora

The Church of San Salvador in Chora is considered one of the best examples of Byzantine art in the world.

Gülhane Park

A great place to relax and see the other side of the inhabitants of Istanbul. For us it is an essential ride.

Palacıo Dolmabahçe

From 1856 to 1924, the Dolmabahçe Palace was the official residence of the sultans, replacing the Topkapı Palace. It was built in the western style, at a cost of thirty-five tons of gold.

Café de Pıerre Lotı

Located on the highest point of the cemetery hill of Eyüp, this site is named after the pseudonym of Julian Viaud, writer and officer of the French Navy and a lost lover of Istanbul, who is said to have come here to seek inspiration. From this place and tasting the famous Turkish apple tea, you can see fabulous views of the entire Golden Horn and the city in general. You can access Pierre Loti by walking through the cemetery or through a cable car near the famous Eyüp Mosque.

Kadıköy

Kadiköy, which sits on ancient Chalcedon, is a large, populous and cosmopolitan district, located on the northern bank of the Sea of ​​Marmara, crossing the Bosphorus. Kadiköy is also the name of the most prominent neighborhood of the district, a residential and commercial area, with numerous bars, cinemas and bookstores; which is the main cultural center of the Asian side of Istanbul.

Prince Islands

The Prince Islands are a chain of nine small islands of the Sea of ​​Marmara, near the coasts of Istanbul, which constitute the Adalar district (Islands) of the province. Although it is made up of nine islands, four of them, the largest and most populated, are usually the best known and visited: Büyükada (Big Island, 5, 46 kilometers) Heybeliada, Burgazada and Kınalıada; which can be accessed on regular ferries from Kabataş station, on the European side and from Bostancı, Kartal and Maltepe, on the Asian side. Transportation within the Islands is usually on bicycles and horse cars.

Hamams or Turkish Baths

It is said that in the eighteenth century in Istanbul there were more than 150 hamams. Nowadays many people prevail, both the most tourist and the small hamams of the neighborhoods, to which the locals go. Among the most visited and famous in Istanbul are the Hamams of Çemberlitas, Cağaloğlu and Süleimaniye, the latter available for both sexes in the same room.