Beyoğlu
The descriptor 'cultural centre' is used a lot in İstanbul, but is often a misnomer. Here at SALT Galata it really does apply. Housed in a magnificent…
Must-see attractions in Istanbul
İstanbul Museum of the History of Science & Technology in Islam
Sultanahmet
Of interest to science buffs, the didactic exhibition in this museum argues that Islamic advances in science and technology preceded and greatly…
Beyoğlu
The cornerstone of this Gothic-style Anglican church was laid in 1858 by Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, known as 'The Great Elchi' (elçi meaning ambassador)…
Kadıköy
A friendly, and ecofriendly, community space devoted to ‘sustainable creativity’, Circuit hosts exhibitions and craft fairs of work by local artists, and…
Beyoğlu
This pretty mosque, designed by Sinan and built in 1577, is unusual in that it, and the minaret, are raised on a platform. It was commissioned by Sokollu…
Istanbul
Though only a shell these days, the remnants of this Byzantine palace give a good idea of how it would have looked in its heyday. Built in the late 13th…
Istanbul
Commissioned by Murat IV's mother, Kösem Valide Sultan, this massive han (caravanserai) was built in 1651 and originally housed up to 3000 travellers and…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
It’s quite a hike up to this small house-museum, named after the Turkish word for ‘bird’s nest’, but the stunning Bosphorus views may well inspire you to…
Sultanahmet
Commissioned by Justinian in the 540s, this Byzantine church is almost exactly as old as its near neighbour, Aya Sofya. Used as an arsenal for centuries,…
Istanbul
Built on the highest hill in the city, this massive mosque opened in 2019 and can accommodate an extraordinary 63,000 worshippers. The largest mosque in…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Almost directly under the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge on the European shore is this huge stone four-storey mansion, built in the early 20th century for a…
Istanbul
Adjoining Beyazıt Sq, this is the largest of the city's universities and has a history dating back to early Ottoman times. It moved to this location in…
Istanbul
Closed to the public, this 85m-tall tower sits on top of one of the seven hills on which Constantine the Great built the city, following the model of Rome…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
This complex of three buildings on the Bosphorus shore was commissioned by Sultan Abdül Aziz in 1871 to house members of the royal family who could not be…
Istanbul
One of the many hans (caravanserais) in the Bazaar District, this huge structure was built between 1659 and 1660 by the Köprülüs, a distinguished Ottoman…
Istanbul
A baroque-style Imperial mosque commissioned by Sultan Mustafa III and built between 1759 and 1763, the Laleli ('with Tulips') Camii is a short walk from…
Marmara University Republican Museum
Sultanahmet
Located at the southern end of the Hippodrome, this museum is housed in a handsome example of Ottoman Revivalism, a homegrown architectural style popular…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Past the small village of Çengelköy on the Asian side of the Strait is the imposing Kuleli Military School, built in 1860 and immortalised in Irfan Orga's…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Once home to a daughter of Sultan Murat V, this red-roofed yalı under the Bosphorus Bridge functioned as a school, orphanage and sports centre during the…
Istanbul
Unusual due to the striking 'birdcage' tomb in its overgrown garden, this mosque was built by Sultan Ahmet III between 1708 and 1710 for his mother,…
İstanbul Arastırmaları Enstitüsü
Beyoğlu
Associated with the nearby Pera Museum, this institution incorporates a publicly accessible research library focusing on the cultural and social history…
Beyoğlu
Built by the Genoese in 1337, this fortress-like mosque was the largest of İstanbul's Latin churches. Converted to a mosque after the Conquest, it was…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
The Fortress of Anatolia (Asia) was built by order of Sultan Beyazıt I in 1393–1395 and it was the place from which he launched the first Ottoman attack…
Beyoğlu
Built in 1880, this is İstanbul's largest Greek Orthodox church and has a small but loyal congregation. Attacked during the anti-minority events of 6–7…
Istanbul
Sometimes called the İskele (Dock) Camii, this mosque was designed by Mimar Sinan for Süleyman the Magnificent's daughter Mihrimah. Built between 1547 and…
Istanbul
Buried here is Mehmet V Reşâd (1844–1918), the Ottoman sultan who reigned during the First Balkan War and the entry of his empire into World War I. He…
Sultanahmet
This was kilometre zero during the Byzantine Empire: the starting point of the Via Egnatia, the great road linking Constantinople with the Adriatic coast,…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Extensively damaged in 2018 when an out-of-control Maltese-flagged tanker crashed into it, this 18th-century yalı just north of Anadolu Hisarı was built…
Istanbul
Functioning as a somewhat tawdry shopping centre since 1990, this Ottoman hamam has retained its form and many of its original features. One of the oldest…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Thought by some critics to be the work of Italian architect Raimondo D’Aronco, this gorgeous art nouveau mini-palace was built for Emine Hanım, mother of…
Princes’ Islands
Turkey's second president, İsmet İnönü, purchased this four-storey villa in 1934, four years before he assumed the presidency after Atatürk's death. He…
Istanbul
Eminzade Hacı Ahmet Paşa, comptroller of the Arsenal under Ahmet III, commissioned this mosque and attached medrese in 1722. Its unusual design features a…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
This yalı set in an extensive garden was constructed by the Huber Brothers, weapons brokers who represented the German Mauser and Krupp companies in the…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Built in the early 19th century by the official coffee-maker to Sultan Mahmut II. Look for the upstairs salon, which juts out over the water and is…
Aya Efimia Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi
Kadıköy
This Greek Orthodox church dates from 1830, although there had been a previous church on the same site from the late 17th century. Legend tells us that St…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
On the hill behind Arnavutköy, the former American College for Girls (established 1871) is now part of the prestigious Robert College. Famous alumni…
Istanbul
One of the most prominent sights on the Üsküdar skyline, this baroque-style mosque was built in 1760–61 by order of Sultan Mustafa III. At the time of…
Istanbul
Commissioned by Pertevniyal Valide Sultan, mother of Abdül Aziz, and built between 1869 and 1872, this architectural hodgepodge of a building has been…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Built in the 19th century by Count Leon Ostrorog, a Polish advisor to the Ottoman court, this huge red yalı was visited by French novelist Pierre Loti in…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Once home to a daughter of Sultan Murat V, this huge yalı was built in the 1880s and extensively damaged by fire in 2003. At the time of writing it was…
