Sights in Istanbul
-
Proje4l/Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art
Proje4L was the first of the crop of new, privately endowed museums in the city. Established by local architect and property developer Can Elgiz, it aims to further the understanding and appreciation of international contemporary art in the city and facilitate the globalisation of contemporary Turkish art. The gallery recently moved to its new premises in Maslak, the city’s financial hub. When you exit ITU-Ayazaga metro station, take the underpass and walk towards the plazas (the gallery is in the office development behind the Ziraat Bankası and Sheraton Hotel, accessed via a road to the left of these buildings).
reviewed
-
Büyük Göksu Deresi
Next to the Kıbrıslı Yalı are the Büyük Göksu Deresi and Küçük Göksu Deresi (Small Heavenly Stream), two brooks that descend from the Asian hills into the Bosphorus. Between them is a fertile delta, grassy and shady, which the Ottoman elite thought perfect for picnics. Foreign residents, referred to the place as 'The Sweet Waters of Asia'.
If the weather was good, the sultan joined the picnic, and did so in style. Sultan Abdül Mecit's answer to a simple picnic blanket was the wedding cake-like Küçüksu Kasrı.
reviewed
-
A
Ortaköy Mosque
This elegant baroque structure was designed by Nikoğos Balyan, one of the architects of Dolbabahçe Palace, and built for Sultan Abdül Mecit I between 1853 and 1855. With the modern Bosphorus Bridge looming behind it, it now provides a fabulous photo opportunity for those wanting to illustrate İstanbul's 'old meets new' character.
Within the mosque hang several masterful examples of Arabic calligraphy executed by Abdül Mecit, who was an accomplished calligrapher.
The mosque fronts onto Ortaköy Meydanı, the hub of this former fishing village and home to a pretty fountain and waterfront cafes. On weekends, the square and surrounding streets host an unremarkable but…
reviewed
-
Sarıyer
The residents of Sarıyer, the next village up from Büyükdere on the European shore, have occupied themselves for most of their history by fishing. This is still a pastime and the main livelihood here, and Sarıyer is justly noted for its good fish restaurants. It's a busy place.
Turn right as you leave the ferry dock, stay as close to the shore as possible, and you will pass the seabus terminal and several fish restaurants before coming to the Tarihi Balıkçılar Çarşısı, the village's historic fish market.
reviewed
-
B
İstanbul Museum of the History of Science & Technology in Islam
Of interest to science buffs, the didactic exhibition in this museum argues that Islamic advances in science and technology preceded and greatly influenced those in Europe. Most of the exhibits are reconstructions of historical instruments and tools.
reviewed
-
C
Panorama 1453
Opened in 2009, this nationalistic display is a huge 360-degree painted panorama of the Conquest of Constantinople on 29 May 1453. It’s oddly old-fashioned, with no multimedia elements save a soundtrack, and only a few fake-looking props. Still, it’s worth a visit if only to witness the reverence with which Turks approach anything to do with this hugely significant event. The panorama is located outside the Topkapı Gate, where Mehmet the Conqueror had placed the giant cannon ( topkapı ) that was instrumental in his victory.
reviewed
-
D
Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I
The türbe (tomb) of Sultan Ahmet I, the Blue Mosque’s great patron, is on the north side of the mosque facing Sultanahmet Park. Ahmet, who had ascended to the imperial throne aged 13, died one year after the mosque was constructed, aged only 27. Buried with Ahmet are his wife, Kösem, who was strangled to death in the Topkapı Harem, and his sons, Sultan Osman II (r 1618–22), Sultan Murat IV (r 1623–40) and Prince Beyazıt (murdered by Murat). Like the mosque, the türbe features fine İznik tiles.
reviewed
-
E
Yeni Valide Mosque
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, Gülnuş Emetullah, who had been the favourite concubine of Mehmet IV. Built late in the period of classical Ottoman architecture, it lacks the architectural distinction of many of Üsküdar's other mosques.
reviewed
-
F
Rumeli Hisarı
Just before the Fatih Bridge are the majestic structures of Rumeli Hisarı and Anadolu Hisarı (Fortress of Anatolia). Mehmet the Conqueror had Rumeli Hisarı built in a mere four months in 1452, in preparation for his siege of Byzantine Constantinople. For its location, he chose the narrowest point of the Bosphorus, opposite Anadolu Hisarı, which Sultan Beyazıt I had built in 1391. By doing so, Mehmet was able to control all traffic on the strait, cutting the city off from resupply by sea.
reviewed
-
G
Yıldız Şale
Originally an imperial hunting lodge, this oftextended Ottoman guesthouse has hosted royalty galore.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
H
Kasa Galeri
Kasa Galeri is located in the basement vault of the Minerva Han, a splendid Islamic Revival–style building that was built as the Greek-owned Bank of Athens in the early 20th century. Funded by Sabaci University, it supports and exhibits collaborative international art projects that are experimental in nature. It also offers residencies and shows to emerging Turkish artists.
reviewed
-
I
Depo
Occupying a former tobacco warehouse, this alternative space is operated by Anadolu Kültür, a not-for-profit organisation that facilitates artistic collaboration, promotes cultural exchange and stimulates debates on social and political issues relevant to Turkey, the South Caucasus, the Middle East and the Balkans. It hosts talks, exhibitions and film screenings. The Rodeo commercial contemporary-art gallery is also located here.
reviewed
-
J
Christ Church
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) because of his paramount influence in mid-19th-century Ottoman affairs. The largest of the city's Protestant churches, it was dedicated in 1868 as the Crimean Memorial Church and restored and renamed in the mid-1990s.
Inside, there is a painted rood screen by Scottish artist Mungo McCosh that depicts notable İstanbul residents (mainly expats). The church's chaplain and congregation are actively involved in refugee welfare within the city.
To visit, attend the Sunday service or SMS the chaplain to…
reviewed
-
K
Atatürk Cultural Centre
The Atatürk Cultural Centre was designed by Hayati Tabanlioğlu in 1956–57 and appears to best advantage at night, when its elegant steel mesh is illuminated. It is currently undergoing long-overdue restoration works.
reviewed
-
L
Binbirdirek Cistern
Constantine the Great (r 324–37) built Binbirdirek in AD 330. During Ottoman times it was converted into a han (caravanserai) for silk manufacturers. Closed for decades, it was restored a few years ago and functions as a cafe and venue for exhibitions, functions and concerts. Nowhere near as impressive as the Basilica Cistern (largely because it has been emptied of its water reserves and has a false floor), it’s not really worth the admission price.
reviewed
-
Fethi Ahmet Paşa Yalı
On the Asian shore of the Bosphorus is the Fethi Ahmet Paşa Yalı, built in the late 18th century. The word yalı comes from the Greek word for 'coast', and describes the waterside wooden summer residences along the Bosphorus built by Ottoman aristocracy and foreign ambassadors in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, now all protected by the country's heritage laws. This one is known as the 'pink yalı'.
reviewed
-
M
Arab Mosque
Built by the Genoese in 1337, this mosque was the largest of İstanbul's Latin churches. It was converted to a mosque after the Conquest and given to the recently arrived community of Spanish Muslims after their expulsion from Spain and arrival in İstanbul in the late 15th century. Notable features include the impressive stone exterior and a magnificent wooden ceiling.
reviewed
-
N
Egyptian Consulate Building
The Egyptian consulate building is thought by some critics to be the work of Italian architect Raimondo D’Aronco. This gorgeous art nouveau minipalace was built for Emine Hanım, mother of the last khedive of Egypt, Abbas Hilmi II. It’s the white building with a mansard roof and an ornate wrought-iron fence.
reviewed
-
santralistanbul
İstanbul’s version of the Tate Modern, santralistanbul is a contemporary art gallery housed in a converted power station on the campus of the private Bilgi University. Exhibitions are as big in ambition as they are in size. Get there by bus from Eminönü or catch the free shuttle bus from the Atatürk Cultural Centre in Taksim; these leave every 30 minutes between 8.30am and 9pm.
reviewed
-
O
Mihrimah Sultan Mosque
Sometimes called the İskele (Dock) Camii, this mosque was designed by Mimar Sinan for Süleyman the Magnificent's daughter Mihrimah and built between 1547 and 1548. Look out for its attractive ablutions fountain in the traffic island and listen for the müezzin's call to prayer if you're in Üsküdar around noon – he has one of the best voices in the city.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
P
Kamondo Stairs
The curvaceous 18th-century Kamondo Stairs, one of Beyoğlu’s most distinctive pieces of urban design, run south from Kart Çınar Sokak. Around the corner from the stairs you’ll find the Schneidertempel Art Centre. This art gallery, which is housed in a modest former synagogue, hosts shows of Jewish art, usually contemporary and local in origin.
reviewed
-
Q
Museum Of Turkish Calligraphic Art
Housed in a small building at the western side of Beyazıt Square, this museum contains wall hangings and manuscripts illustrating mainly cursive calligraphic styles, many dating from the 13th century. There are also some examples of calligraphy on stone, tile and glass. The building, once the medrese of Beyazıt Camii, is a series of rooms surrounding a leafy courtyard.
reviewed
-
R
Boğaziçi Üniversitesi
Above Bebek you'll notice the New England 19th-century-style architecture of the Boğaziçi Üniversitesi. Founded by American missionaries in the mid-19th century as Robert College, the college had an important influence on the modernisation of political, social, economic and scientific thought in Turkey. It was donated to the Turkish Republic in the early 1970s.
reviewed
-
S
Küçüksu Kasrı
Sultan Abdül Mecit’s answer to a simple picnic blanket was Küçüksu Kasrı, an ornate lodge built in 1856–7. Earlier sultans had wooden kiosks here, but architect Nikoğos Balyan designed a rococo gem in marble for his monarch. You’ll see its ornate cast-iron fence, boat dock and wedding-cake exterior from the ferry.
reviewed
-
Sadberk Hanım Museum
Named after the wife of the late Vehbi Koç, founder of Turkey’s foremost commercial empire in 1926, this museum is a showcase for her extraordinary private collection of antiquities and Ottoman heirlooms. Labels are in English and Turkish. To get here, alight from the ferry at Sariyer and walk south from the ferry dock for approximately 10 minutes.
reviewed