The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is recognizable by the six slender minarets that surround its cascade of domes. Commissioned by Sultan Ahmed the First and completed in sixteen sixteen, the building was designed by the architect Sedefkar Mehmed…
The Best of Istanbul
This walk guides you through Istanbul's defining historic monuments, imperial mosques, and famous century-old markets.
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1. The Blue Mosque
2. Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
The Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque is defined by a massive central dome that appears to float above the structure. Designed by the Greek geometers Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles, the building was completed in five hundred…
3. Topkapi Palace Museum
Topkapi Palace is defined by its four expansive, interconnected courtyards that stretch across the historic peninsula of Istanbul, overlooking the confluence of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. Commissioned by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror…
4. Basilica Cistern
The Basilica Cistern is a vast underground chamber featuring three hundred thirty-six marble columns that rise directly from the water. Commissioned by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian the First in the sixth century, this structure was…
5. Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar is a vast, labyrinthine network of more than sixty covered streets defined by its vaulted ceilings and thick stone walls. Established in fourteen sixty-one by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, it began as a secure vault for…
6. Suleymaniye Mosque
The Süleymaniye Mosque sits atop the Third Hill of Istanbul, its massive central dome rising fifty-three meters above the floor. Designed by the architect Mimar Sinan, it is characterized by the four minarets that flank its courtyard and…
7. Egyptian Bazaar
The Egyptian Bazaar is an L-shaped covered market, easily identified by its series of stone domes and six arched gateways. Completed in sixteen sixty-four as part of the nearby New Mosque complex, it was intended to generate rental income…
8. Galata Tower
The Galata Tower is a tall, rounded stone structure topped by a conical roof that looms over the skyline of the Beyoğlu district. Originally constructed by the Genoese in thirteen forty-eight as the Tower of Christ, it served as a…
9. Dolmabahçe Palace
Dolmabahçe Palace stretches along the European shore of the Bosphorus as a massive, uniform stone structure, distinct for its long waterfront facade of repeated windows, classical columns, and ornate projecting sections. Commissioned by…