Whether you have visited Turkey before or not, we can all agree that Istanbul is a whole different world – organized chaos as some people might suggest. I’ve had the opportunity to visit the city multiple times throughout the years and I have never left disappointed by the places that I saw, the people that I met and the food that I tried. You simply cannot experience Istanbul in 5 days, it’s impossible – you would need a time machine. Here are some of my top spots in Istanbul that are definitely worth seeing.
Sultanahmet Square
Sultanahmet Square, also known as the Hippodrome of Constantinople, is located in very close proximity to the Blue Mosque. In the past during the ruling of Constantine I, the square was used for horse racing which is one of the reasons why it is referred to as ‘hippodrome’. The image shown above is the Obelisk of Thutmose III, which was bought from Egypt in 390 by Theodosius the Great. What is interesting about it apart from its architecture and size is that it is one of the oldest traces of ancient civilizations found in Istanbul. Close to the obelisk are also the Serpent Column, the Walled Obelisk, the Forum of Constantine, as well as the German Fountain.
Sultan Ahmed Mosque (The Blue Mosque)
The Blue Mosque was built in the 17th century during Sultan Ahmed I’s ruling and its name originates from the blue tiles used for its decoration. The massive mosque has 6 minarets and its main purpose was to surpass the size and beauty of Hagia Sophia (the Greek Orthodox Patriarchal cathedral, which was turned into a mosque and is currently a museum).
The Blue Mosque is open not only for men but for women as well and I would definitely recommend going inside and checking it out in order to immerse yourselves into the culture of Turkey and the historical Ottoman Empire.
Hagia Sophia Mosque
For decades Hagia Sophia has been one of the biggest churches around the world. It was built in 532 by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I and is currently a museum. In 1453 the city fell under the Ottoman rule and the church was turned into a mosque with 4 minarets. Later on in 1934, Kemal Atatürk makes the decision to declare the Hagia Sophia Church as a museum and since then it is visited by millions of tourists every year.
Yerebatan Sarnıcı
Built by Justinian I, the Basilica Cistern served as an underground water reservoir and is one of the most ancient buildings in Istanbul. It is famous for its marble columns, the Crying Column and the Medusa Head statue (one of the three Gorgons).
If you are a fan of Dan Brown’s books you probably know that the Basilica Cistern was one of the locations featured in the Inferno book and later on in the movie, starring Tom Hanks (Robert Langdon). The cistern appears even more magical and mysterious in real life – I strongly recommend seeing it.
Kapalı Çarşı
Kapalı Çarşı is one of the biggest and oldest covered markets in Turkey. You can find all sorts of things from belts and bags, to tea and spices and if you are good at bargaining you might leave the market with some great purchases. Overall, it is definitely worth visiting because of its covered streets and beautiful shops.
Topkapı Palace
For approximately 400 years, Topkapı Palace served as the main residence and an administrative headquarter of the Ottoman sultans. The palace is currently a museum and consists of many different buildings and 4 courtyards. What is interesting to see is the harem courtyard with its walls made out of glass.
The museum is open every day between 09:00 – 17:00 except for Tuesdays so do keep that in mind if you plan on adding it to your list.
Bulgarian St. Stephen Church
St. Stephen is a Bulgarian Orthodox church built towards the end of the 19th century and renovated in 2018. It is famous for its iron elements and is one of the few iron churches in the world that have survived over time. The church belongs to the Bulgarian minority in the city and in its yard is the grave of Ilarion Makariopolski, a Bulgarian cleric and one of the leaders of the struggle for an autonomous church.
With its small size and architecture in a neo-Gothic style, St. Stephen Church is certainly a site worth stopping by even if you’re not religious.
Dolmabahçe Palace
Dolmabahçe Palace was built in the 19th century by Abdülmecid I and contains elements from the Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical styles, combined with traditional Ottoman architecture. The inside of the palace is decorated with crystals, beautiful chandeliers and lots of gold. It is extremely luxurious and modern for its time and some of its most beautiful rooms are the Blue Hall, the Pink Hall, and Atatürk’s room.
Istanbul Sapphire
Istanbul Sapphire is the 4th tallest skyscraper in Turkey and rises 54 floors above ground level. The building consists of 174 apartments, a shopping center, a golf court, a fitness center and a spa place with a pool. On the last floor of the skyscraper, there is a panoramic site with a restaurant and a 4D cinema. I was truly mesmerized by the view and I have to admit that this was one of the most beautiful man-made scapes that I have witnessed so far.
As I mentioned before, a week is truly not enough to experience the beauty of Istanbul. For that reason I have decided to dedicate a couple of articles on my time in the city, introducing different sights each time and sharing my thoughts and feelings about them.
If you enjoyed this blog post make sure you check out Part 2!
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