Istanbul has developed under the rule of many states and has been the center of various cultures. Connecting Europe and Asia through the Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul is one of the most cosmopolitan metropolises in the world. Undoubtedly, the most striking feature of the history of Istanbul is that it was the capital of three empires, the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empire. The cultural legacy of Istanbul is vast, and the historic peninsula is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
While Muslims make up most of the population, the city is a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities. You can experience the cultures of the Middle East and West all at once. It has developed its modern cultural offering after becoming the European Capital of Culture in 2010. To fully experience Istanbul takes a lifetime with its beautiful parks, corners, museums, mosques, churches, and many more.
That is why we prepared a list for you to discover the historical places in Istanbul!
Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque)
Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as Blue Mosque, is an Ottoman-era historical mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. The mosque is an example of the excellence of Ottoman architecture. The Ottoman architect Sedefkar Mehmed Agha built the mosque in the 17th century during the rule of Ahmed I.
It is the center of Old Istanbul and is one of the top sights visited by tourists. The foreigners call it Blue Mosque because of the high ceiling lined with 20,000 blue tiles.
The mosque dominates the spectacular skyline of Istanbul with its beautiful blend of ascending domes and six slender soaring minarets. The Blue Mosque is also a unique place because of its interior decorations and interior lighting.
The entrance to the Blue Mosque is free, and the sound of prayer is soothing to the ears by the four finest muezzins in Turkey. You should enter from the side of the Hippodrome to experience the beauty of the mosque. Before entering, you have to cover your head and take off your shoes.
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Istanbul. It is accepted as the 8th wonder of the world. It has gone through various changes, from a Byzantine church to a museum. Hagia Sophia has had an eventful existence, becoming rebuilt and repurposed many times, and it is among the top three most important historical places of Istanbul.
The Hagia Sophia is a combination of Byzantine and Islamic architecture. While the minaret, calligraphic roundels, and mihrab have Islamic features, mosaics and frescoes, marble columns, artistically significant covers have Byzantine features.
It is open and free of charge for anyone who wants to visit, except during prayer times. Furthermore, it is a must to remove your shoes and cover your head before entering the mosque.
Basilica Cistern
The Basilica Cistern or Cisterna Basilica is one of the magnificent historical structures of Istanbul, located in the southwest of Hagia Sophia. It is one of the most amazing pre-Ottoman unique places in Istanbul. Basilica Cistern is a mystical and impressive historical place most visited by tourists for its legendary Medusa heads. It is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath Istanbul. It was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.
The cistern is a giant structure covering a rectangular area of 140 meters in length and 70 meters in width. The cistern has a water storage capacity of approximately 100,000 tons. There are 336 columns, each 9 meters high, inside this cistern, which is descended by a 52-step stone staircase.
The Basilica Cistern met the water needs of the palace where the emperors resided and other residents during the Byzantine Emperor. The two Medusa Heads used as pedestals under the two columns in the northwest corner of the cistern are masterpieces of Roman sculpture art.
Topkapi Palace
Topkapi Palace is on the historical peninsula of Istanbul between the Marmara Sea, the Bosphorus, and the Golden Horn. The construction of the Topkapi Palace was started in 1460, seven years after the conquest of Istanbul, at the request of Fatih Sultan Mehmet. Topkapi Palace was the administrative, educational and artistic center of the empire for almost 400 years.
There are four courtyards among the palace: The first courtyard is Alay Square, Hagia Irene Church. The second courtyard is Divan Square, the administration center. The entrance to the Harem is on the western side of the Second Courtyard. The third courtyard is Enderun Courtyard, the principal educational center of the reign. The fourth courtyard comprises pavilions and hanging gardens of the sultans.
Harem was home to over 1000 women, and there were rooms dedicated to the mothers and wives of the sultan, his courtesans, Turkish baths, and apartments of the sultan, in total over 400 rooms.
Topkapi Palace was converted into a museum in 1924, after the founding of the Republic of Turkey. The palace holds the title of being the first museum of Turkey. Today, it is one of the largest museums in the world with its buildings, architecture, collections, Sacred Relics, Chinese and Japanese porcelains, and approximately 300,000 archive documents. The richness of the Topkapi Palace makes it an attraction point for tourists and locals.
It was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1985. The ticket fee for the Hagia Irene Museum entrance and the audio guide is 200 Turkish Liras. To visit the Harem section, you have to pay an extra fee of 100 TL. Admission is free for children under eight years.
Topkapi Palace is open every day except Tuesdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Taking photos and baby strollers are not allowed inside, and it is worth visiting the palace to experience the magnificent history of the Ottoman Empire. If you are interested in the historical places of Istanbul, your travels will be incomplete without seeing them.
The Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar was built by Mehmet the Conqueror in the 15th century in Fatih district, between the Beyazit Mosque and Nuruosmaniye Mosque. It is one of the largest and oldest covered markets, with over 4000 stores and 61 alleys. It is considered the first shopping mall in the world. There are banks, restaurants, cafes, a post office, a police station, a health dispensary, and a tourist information center. The Grand Bazaar is one of the most historical places in Istanbul with its busy stores and colorful streets.
It is one of the best destinations to experience Ottoman culture. The Grand Bazaar has a dynamic atmosphere at any hour of the day. The big stores offer almost all the goods produced and exported in Turkey. Handmade carpets and jewelry are the best examples of traditional Turkish art. In addition to carpets and jewelry, famous Turkish works, souvenirs, decorative items, and ceramics are sold in the Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar can easily be reached from Sultanahmet and Sirkeci by tram.
Suleymaniye Mosque
Suleymaniye Mosque was built by Mimar Sinan, the most celebrated of all Ottoman architects. It was built in Istanbul between 1551 and 1557 in the name of Suleiman the Magnificent. Suleymaniye Mosque was built as a part of the Suleymaniye Complex that consists of a seminary, library, hospital, primary school, Turkish bath (hammam), soup kitchen, burial ground, and shops.
Even though more than a hundred earthquakes have occurred in Istanbul since its construction, not the slightest crack appeared on its walls. Suleymaniye Mosque has a simple structure in terms of decorations. The mihrab is covered in fine Iznik tiles, and the windows on the mihrab wall are decorated with stained glass.
The cemetery, located to the right of the main entrance, contains the octagonal tombs of Sultan Suleiman and his wife, Hurrem Sultan. The tomb of Mimar Sinan is just outside the walled garden, next to a disused seminary building.
Spice Bazaar (The Egyptian Bazaar)
The Spice Bazaar, also known as The Egyptian Bazaar, was built in 1664. It is one of the oldest covered bazaars in Istanbul. It is famous for its herbalists, natural medicines, spices, flower seeds, rare plant roots and shells, products following the old tradition; dried nuts, delicatessen products. Furthermore, it is one of the most colorful bazaars of Istanbul that offers numberless spices, Turkish delights, caviar, dried nuts, honeycombs, dried figs, mature hard Turkish cheese, and many more.
The Spice Bazaar is behind the New Mosque in Eminonu and next to the Flower Market. The Spice Bazaar, one of the oldest covered bazaars in Istanbul, was built during the construction of the New Mosque to generate income for this mosque. It got the name of Egyptian Bazaar because the story goes that it was constructed with money paid as duty on Egyptian imports. Spice Bazaar is open every day from 8 am to 7 pm. No visit to Istanbul is complete without passing by the Spice Bazaar.
Galata Bridge
Galata Bridge is a bridge built over the Golden Horn in Istanbul, connecting Karakoy and Eminonu. Galata Bridge, which has become one of the traditional icons of Istanbul today, carries the symbolism of “the bridge connecting two cultures” as it connects New Istanbul (Karakoy, Beyoglu, Harbiye) and Old Istanbul (Sultanahmet, Fatih, Eminonu).
It is said that Sultan Bayezid II commissioned Leonardo da Vinci to design a bridge to span the Golden Horn in 1503. The great artist and engineer did the design, but the bridge was never built. It is a scale bridge 490 meters in length with an 80-meter part that can be opened. It is one of the rare bascule bridges over which a tram passes in the world.
Today, Galata Bridge has cafes and restaurants underneath, where people enjoy their time watching the ferry boats, fishermen, and seagulls.
Galata Tower
The Galata Tower is located in the Beyoglu district of Istanbul. It takes its name from the Galata district where it is situated. Galata Tower was first built by the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius between 507-508 as a lighthouse and rebuilt as a Genoese Tower in 1348. It is one of the oldest towers in the world, has a height of 69.90 meters. The tower is now used as an exhibition space and a museum. It is one of the symbolic structures of both Beyoglu and Istanbul. Rumor has it you will marry the person you go to together to Galata Tower. This legend dates from Roman times.
The top floor of the Galata Tower, which was one of the tallest buildings in Istanbul until the middle of the 20th century, has one of the most beautiful panoramic views of Istanbul. The tower is on UNESCO’s tentative heritage list.
The tower is open every day from 9.30 am to 12 am in summer; from 10 am to 8 pm in winter. The entrance fee is 100 Turkish liras per person.
Istiklal Street
Istiklal Street, once known as Grand Rue de Pera, is one of the most famous streets in the world, with over 3 million visitors every day. It is in Taksim, Beyoglu district, and without a doubt is one of the most colorful streets in the world. It is a must-visit attraction for its vivid nightlife, discos, meeting points, great stores, bars, cafes and restaurants, innovative art galleries, side streets, neoclassical and art nouveau buildings, historic cinemas, passages, museums, and art galleries.
The street is the destination of nightlife and entertainment in Istanbul. There are rooftop bars, underground live music discos, nostalgic cinemas such as Atlas, Pera, and Beyoglu Cinema. One of the most delightful ways to see Istiklal Street is to use the Nostalgic Tram. Since it is the center of arts and culture, you can always see a flood of locals and tourists.
Top Tourist Attractions on Istiklal Street:
- Flower Passage
- Nostalgic Tram
- Atlas Arcade
- Majestic Cinema
- Church of the Holy Trinity (Hagia Triada)
- French Consulate
- Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
- Fish Market
- Historical Galatasaray Turkish Bath
- French Street
- St. Antoine of Padua Church
- Pera Museum
Dolmabahce Palace
Dolmabahce Palace, the elegant palace of the Bosphorus, is the most magnificent of the symbolic structures of the transformed identity of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. It is located on 110 thousand square meters of a field with a magnificent view overlooking the Bosphorus.
Topkapi Palace was the headquarter of the dynasty from the 15th to the 19th century. But this situation began to change in the 19th century. With the final settlement of Sultan Abdulmecit in Dolmabahce Palace, this became the official residence and administrative center of the Ottoman Empire. Dolmabahce Palace witnessed every step of the Ottoman Empire that opened to the west and has seen many reforms and revolutionary political moves since its establishment.
The last person living in Dolmabahce is Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the great founder and first President of the Turkish Republic. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk lived in Dolmabahce between 1927-1938, carried out his official works here, and died in Dolmabahce Palace.
The interior and exterior decorations of the palace, which did not stray too far from the old traditions as a building plan, were intensely prepared based on western styles. It is famous for its magnificent crystal chandeliers. Dolmabahce Palace, which reflects Rococo, Baroque and Neo-classical architectural styles, also differs in terms of the architectural plan in Topkapi Palace.
The palace was opened to visitors in 1984 as a museum palace. It is open to visitors from 9 am to 6 pm every day except Monday.
