Istanbul tours & Sight seeing

Where to Visit Istanbul
If you plan to stay five days in Istanbul and want to spend it as efficient as possible, here are my suggestions for you. You can change the ranking of days upon your request.
After a relaxing day, now you can go back on the track and spare a day for the Topkapi palace and surrounding structures. Take a tram and get off at Sultanahmet station, when you walk to the Square, you will see St Sophia on you left and Blue mosque on your right. Turn left to the backside of St Sophia. This road will lead you to the Palace.

Before reaching the palace two important sights are the Fountain of Sultan Ahmed III and the "Sogukcesme Sokagi". You can easily catch the fountain with its attractive motives and nice Dom. "Sogukçesme Sokagi" with the old Istanbul houses, lays on the other side of the Fountain. Make a short walk in the street and watch for the renovated old Istanbul houses on the Edge of Istanbul Walls. Now you can lead to the big door where is the opening to the first courtyard. In the first court yard on the left side is the St Irene Church. To visit this church is under the admission of St Sophia museum, however I could only find a chance to visit once.

When you enter the Church there is a stone ramp, which descend s a long to the level of the interior. When you reach the interior you will see the semicircular front with semi-domed above and there are seats for the clergy. In the semi-dome, there is an ancient mosaic of a simple cross in a black border.

After your tour in the St Irene Museum, now lead to the entrance of the Topkapi palace. You will see a crowd waiting in front of the ticket offices. And you will easily catch the gate of Topkapi palace. Topkapi palace is open from 9:00 to 16:00 except Tuesdays. Entrance tickets are obtained from the gateway. There are different parts in the museum and each of them has a different entrance fee. The entrance to the Topkapi museum is 10 YTL, (~ 7,5 USD ) Entrance to the Harem is 10 YTL . Harem is inside the palace and has a separate entrance. In order to visit the Harem you need to wait for the tours, there are tours in every half an hour and Harem is closing at 15:30 hrs. (Closing hours represent last entrance time). I would suggest touring the palace first and visiting Harem later. Topkapi palace is probably one of the best palaces you can see on earth. You will definitely be impressed, one missing thing in the palace for me is as everything is on an exhibition you don't see a real reflection of how people were living in the past. Topkapi Palace could take your whole day, but you should spare some time for some other places. After Topkapi palace you can visit the Archeological museum . When you reach the first courtyard outside the palace, you will see the signs showing the Museum. Archeological museum is on the right side below the road. The entrance fee is 5 YTL (3 USD) Open all day except Monday, from 9:00 to 17.00.
When you are finished with the Archeological museum, just walk down the road and you will reach the entrance of Gulhane Park. If you want to relax a bit, a walk in the park will be very nice. Park has been re-organized recently and has a very nice looking with so many nice and colorful flowers. The day is not over yet. One more activity can fit for this day and this is a visit to Miniaturk. Miniaturk is a mini model park of Turkiye.
The park is open from 09:00 to 17:00. And in summer it is open till 20:00 hrs. So a late visit is still possible in summer days. On miniaturk Turkey's rich historical and cultural heritage is being displayed with their Marquet te's. If you plan a visit to Istanbul, this is a must see event, you should put in to your agenda. You can have snap to all main structures in Turkey in such a short time. After the Park or skipping the park after the museum, you shall w alk or take the tram to eminonu, to reach to Miniaturk I advice taking a taxi from Eminonu. It shall cost 9 -10 YTL (~ 6-7 USD) The entrance fee to the park is around 10 YTL (~ 7 USD). .

The park is located over on a 56-hectare area along the coast of the Golden Horn. Hagia Sophia, Aspendos Theater, Suleymaniye Mosque, Sumela Monastery, Fairy Chimneys, Mount Nemrud and the ancient city of Ephesus are some of those among the historical and cultural works of art in the park. There is also a small bridge, which is copied from the Bosphorus Bridge between Europe and Asia.
After Miniaturk you can again take a taxi to Eminonu and back to your hotel. Or since you are in Golden horn, a visit to "Cibalikapi" fish restaurant will be favorable.

Another Day in Istanbul. Dolmabahce Palace , Taksim Square, Istiklal Street and Galata tower are the sights of the day's program. Now we are going to take a bus from Eminonu to go to Dolmabahce Palace. In front of the ferry port, buses leaves to various parts of Istanbul. If you get on the Bus from Eminonu to Besiktas, you will pass in front of the Palace. You need to get a ticket for the bus and it costs 1,3 YTL, (1 USD). After 3-4 stops you will see a place where Sea buses and Ferries port (Kabatas), you need to get off from here if you happen to pass this stop do not mind you can get off the next stop and walk back.. When you stopped at Kabatas walk to the front and after 200 meters you will see the Dolmabahce palace on the Right side at the seaside. Dolmabahce palace is closed on Monday and Thursdays and open for public from 9:00 to 16:00. There are two parts on the palace "Selamlik" and "Harem", and both have different entrance fees. Fees are for Selamlik 12 YTL (~9 USD) and for Harem is 10 YTL. You can have a ticket for both of them for 18 YTL. On the entrance there are tour guides arranged by the palace and they are gathering people and you are touring the palace with small groups. You need to wear blue plastic covers to your shoes. Palace itself could remind you of the Versailles palace in Paris, however for me it is more elegant. During your visit you will stop inside the room of Ataturk, founder of the Turkish republic. He has passed away in this palace and his room is still kept in the same order. Note: Video Cameras and Photos are subject to an extra fee.

After your tour at Dolmabahce palace, you can visit the Taksim Square. you need the climb up the hill and reach the Taksim Square, a tough walking or you better take a taxi, should cost 3-4 USD max... Taksim square is the biggest square in Istanbul, many events are being celebrated on this square and it is always crowded. You can see the Ataturk statue at the end of the square and also you can see the nostalgic tram of old Istanbul. Tram operates at the Istiklal Street, which is one of the main pedestrian streets in Istanbul. The street, houses many restaurants, consulates, shops and fair grounds. It is a good alternative for shopping. And the atmosphere is very nice. I advice you to walk on this street till the end of it. You will enjoy this street and it may become one of your favorite places in Istanbul. This street is also nice at nights but could be dangerous after very late hours (2 am or so). At the end of the Istiklal street you will see an old metro which is coming from the 19 the Century. However you can keep on walking to the Galata tower. Where you can have a wonderful view of Istanbul. Galata tower was built in 1348 as a watchtower for fires. And today it's a favorable touristy place. After your tour at Galata tower, you can walk down the road and reach Karakoy, other side of Eminonu. Just pass the bridge and you are back to Eminonu.

Ortaköy is the place to visit on your last day. Ortakoy District is very favorable on sundays. If you are lucky and the sun is also shining, then you will definitely have memorable moments at Ortaköy. Ortaköy is one of the must see places at Istanbul and if you happen to be there on a Sunday, than you will enjoy more. A small part of the city, on the Bosphorus shore, hosts a Sunday market and weekend attractions for Locals. However it's attractive for Tourists also. You can find very interesting handmade stuffs as well as paints and silver accessories. The historical houses and streets are under protection and most have been restored. You can see people gathered around the Ibrahim Pasha fountain every day. Watching the sail boats docked at the wharf is an interesting sight also.. There are many coffee and teahouses, restaurants, fast-food shops in Ortaköy. Eating authentic Turkish food such as gözleme or eating Baked potato is a favorite thing.
Walking distance from Besiktas (A tough one). There are buses and regular taxis passing from the Region. Just at the edge of the Bosphorus Bridge (1st one). The buses that leaves to Ortakoy from Eminonu are 22, 22 RE And 25.

After Ortakoy, you can have a snap to Bebek also . Once, the Bay was for the fishing boats to secure themselves, now hosts the Ultra yachts and speed boats. Probably one of most elegant district of Istanbul with so nice houses and best view of Bosphorus. Bebek is also one of the richest districts of Istanbul. In the center of Bebek stood the Bebek mosque. Also the entrance of the Bosphorus University is nearby. If you have the courage to climb all the way up. The view from the top is enormous. Bebek is so nice to walk around. Walk on the coast and walk in the Bebek Park. Sit on a Bank and enjoy the beauty and silence. If you like desert, try he "Bebek Badem Ezmecisi", a delicious Turkish desert. Also there are very nice Cafes at Bebek. How to reach Bebek: There are regular buses from Eminonu, Besiktas & Taksim

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istanbul city tour

Istanbul city tour. The approaching summer these days, it is beautiful istanbul. After a few days, we will continue to Istanbul. the interesting places in istanbul, location for tourists. You'll see them all on our site

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St. Saviour Church of Chora

The present day St. Saviour Church of Chora dates back from the late 11th century and originally this was a church outside Constantine's original city walls and so it was named the Church of St Saviour in Chora... this literally means in the country side.

The Church was converted into a Mosque in 1510 by the grand vezier of Beyazid II and there after bore the name Kariye Mosque and now it is called KARIYE Mosque & Museum (Kariye Cami ve Müzesi).

The museum offers the finest example of Byzantine mosaic work in the city, as well as superb fourteenth-century frescoes depicting the Genealogy of Christ, the Life of the Virgin and Christ's Ministry.













This complex is often passed over because of it's inconvenient location in Istanbul's western edge near remnants of the old Constantinian Walls, built by Emperor Theodosius II in AD 413.

At Church of St.Saviour in Chora walls protected Constantinople from numerous onslaughts and were breached only twice: by the crusaders in the 1200s and by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453.













Even though the Church was converted to a Mosque after the Conquest, the mosaics were merely whitewashed over and thus have been preserved for display in this secular museum, no longer used for any religious purposes.

St. Saviour Chora (Kariye Mosque & Museum ) is open everyday (except Tuesday) from 9:30 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon. Ph.(212) 631 92 41

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Basilica Cistern

Basilica Cistern , YEREBATAN SARAYI

It is a Byzantine cistern from the 6th century and it is located at Sultanahmet Square Istanbul... in walking distance to HAGIA SOPHIA MUSEUM and BLUE MOSQUE(Sultanahmet Camii). Turks call 'Yerebatan Sarayi'(The Sunken Palace).
Well, however it is not a palace at all... it is an huge water storage place.


This cistern has fine brick vaulting supported by 336 Corinthian columns. It is the largest covered cistern in Istanbul, dating back to the Roman times. Its dimensions are 140 by 70 meters, and it is capable of holding 80.000 cubic meters of water.

The Basilica Cistern was actually the reservoir for the prodigious quantity of water required for the Byzantine Great Palace, and it is thought to date back to the reign of Justinian in 532. Later in Ottoman years it has been use for conception of complex of Topkapi Palace.

Cistern has a huge structure, measuring 140m (460ft) long and 70m (230ft) across, and it is virtually empty; only a couple of feet of water line the bottom. Some wooden walkways have been constructed for visitors. The atmosphere inside is so quite and beautiful. Also it is very nice place for cooling down after being outside for a hot summer day :)

This fabulous cistern was used for entertainment purpose in earlier years as a film set of the movie 'From Russia With Love', with actor James Bond.

In the cistern the light and music is fantastic, don't miss to visit! Very nice classical music accompanies the sound of endlessly dripping water.

YEREBATAN SARAYI is open every day, except Tuesdays. Ph. (212) 522 12 59

Speaking of the water; since offering water is considered as a good deed in the ISLAM religion, following the conquering of the city by the Ottomans, and during the restructuring of the city many fountains and water resources were built in the city. However, as the time passed by the majority were demolished and at the present day there are approximately 500 fountains and 70 water resources.

One of the this fountain is Sultan Ahmet the 3rd Fountain (Sultan Ahmet Çesmesi) which is located just in front of the Topkapi Palace. It was built in 1729.

The fountain has a spout on each of its four sides. This is a free-standing fountain with a beautiful roof which is inside is adorned with reliefs and inscriptions and surmounted by decorated golden leaves. Actually fountain is dry.

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pictures of istanbul

Yerebatan sarayi, byzantine cistern


Topkapi Palace


the blue mosque and st. sofia


the bosphorus


Rumeli hisari

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Whirling dirvishes of istanbul

Whirling dirvishes of istanbul video

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Suleymaniye Mosque (Sultan Suleyman the Magnificient)

Suleymaniye Mosque (Sultan Suleyman the Magnificient)

Suleymaniye Mosque is the second largest but finest and most magnificent of the imperial mosque complexes in the city. It’s as magnificent as its founder Suleiman the Magnificent and a masterwork of the greatest Ottoman architect, the incomparable Sinan. Suleiman the Magnificent is the 10th Sultan of Ottoman Empire who expanded the boundaries of the Empire far to Vienna’s City Walls. Conquering Vienna was his ultimate aim but he could not succeed.

The construction of the Suleiman’s Mosque began in 1550 and the mosque itself was completed in 1557. The mosque is actually a complex building with the tombs of Suleiman and his wife, Hurrem Sultan(Roxelana). The other buildings were finished some years later. The mosque is preceded by a courtyard with columns of the richest porphyry, marble and granite. At the four corners of the courtyard rise the four great minarets. The four minarets are said to signify that Suleiman was the fourth sultan to rule in Istanbul and the 10 balconies denote that he was the 10th Sultan of the Ottoman Dynasty.

Interior of Suleiman's MosqueEntering the mosque, there is a vast room, almost square in plan surmounted by a huge dome. The dome is 47 m., 150 feet and its diameter is 27.5 m, 87 feet. The stain coloured windows are lovely, the sunlight diffuses inside very nicely. The mihrab where the imam(priest) stands and the pulpit are Proconassian marble. There is also a marvellous woodwork inlaid with mother of pearl and ivory of the doors, window shutters and the preacher’s chair. There are also impressive calligraphic inscriptions by the most famous calligrapher of Ottoman Empire, Ahmet Karahisari and his pupil Hasan Celebi. The mosque is all carpeted with red prayer rugs all pointing South where Mecca is located. Next to the mosque are the turbes, the tombs of Suleiman and his wife, Hurrem(Roxelana). The tomb of Suleiman is revetted with beautiful Iznik tiles and quite impressive. There is also the tomb of great architect, Sinan in the same complex. According to the story, Sinan was the only architect who had the honour of opening an Imperial Mosque because Suleiman gave the key to Sinan which was given to him to open the mosque. Another saying says Sinan trusts the quality of the mosque so much that if there is any big earthquake happens, this mosque will never collapse, it will fall into the waters of Golden Horn as one piece, not in small pieces…

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Dolmabahce Palace

Dolmabahce Palace

The word “Dolmabahce” in English means “The stuffed garden”. Because the Dolmabahce Palace is founded upon a reclaimed area by filling up the sea. It’s a beautiful 19th C palace right by the Bosphorus, on the waterfront. It’s in baroque and rococo style and very French. Many people think that it is a small model of the palace of Versailles in Paris, France. It can be visited with a tour guide of the palace as a group. Open everyday from 9:30-17:00 except Mon and Thu.

When one enters the palace area, the first thing to see is the beautiful French style gardens. After having a lovely walk by the Bosphorus, one reaches the main building. The palace was constructed between 1842-1853 by one of the Ottoman Sultans, Sultan Abdulmecid. The architect was a famous Armenian architect, Nikogos Balyan. The palace reflects the European and more “modern” side of the Ottoman Empire. The Sultans moved to Dolmabahce Palace after its construction was finished and never went back to Topkapi Palace which hosted them nearly 4 centuries.

Before one enters into the main palace building, should wear blue nylons over shoes due to keepThe Grand Hall the palace clean. After wearing them, one faces with a huge entrance hall with beautiful French Baccarat crystal chandelliers. The palace altogether is decorated with French Baccarat and Czech Bohemian crystal chandelliers.The entrance hall is the hall where the visitors were used to welcomed. This part is the official part (Selamlik) of the Palace that was only open to the men. The women and the children lived in a different part called “the Harem”. The Sultan’s bedrooms were also in the Harem Part. The founder of Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk died in this palace in 1938 of sirosis disease. He actually lived in Ankara, Turkey’s capital, but he used to come to Istanbul quite often and Dolmabahce Palace was his residence when he visited Istanbul. His room is also in the Harem Part of the Palace. There are many portraits in the palace by famous artists, like Aivazosvky of Russia. It’s a very ornate palace with its 285 rooms, 43 large halls and 6 Turkish baths. The large old carpets on the floor are Hereke Carpets which were exclusively woven for the palaces. Some rooms have a great parquet floor with three different woods (ebony, mahogany, rose wood) inlaid into each other by using no nails. Many of the palace fabrics and the curtains were also coming from Hereke, a small town 50 miles,70 kms. to the east of Istanbul. The palace fabrics today were replaced by new ones which are very similar to the original ones.

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