Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
Istanbul
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople is the symbolic headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Church, and one of the most significant sites in the…
Must-see attractions in Istanbul
Istanbul
Rising majestically over the traffic on busy Atatürk Bulvarı, this limestone aqueduct is one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. Commissioned by…
Sultanahmet
Housed in an imaret (soup kitchen) added to the Aya Sofya complex in the 18th century, this museum is entered through a spectacular baroque gate and gives…
Beyoğlu
Located opposite the grandiose entrance to the 1868 Galatasaray Lycée, one of the city's most prestigious educational institutions, this much-loved…
Nişantaşi, Bomonti & Harbiye
On a sunny weekend afternoon, you’ll find this slender green oasis in central İstanbul full of picnicking families, canoodling couples and slackline…
Istanbul
Not long after the Conquest, Mehmet the Conqueror visited this 13th-century church to discuss theological questions with the Patriarch of the Orthodox…
Beyoğlu
With works displayed under glass on top of worn wooden desks or lecterns, and exhibition titles written on blackboards, the historical atmosphere of the…
Istanbul
The Fatih was the first great imperial mosque built in İstanbul following the Conquest. Mehmet the Conqueror chose to locate it on the hilltop site of the…
Beyoğlu
Contemporary Turkish and international artists are featured in the shows at this gallery space, opened in late 2016 in one of the historic buildings in…
Istanbul
Facing one of the major gateways into the Grand Bazaar, this large mosque complex was built in Ottoman baroque style between 1748 and 1755. Construction…
Nişantaşi, Bomonti & Harbiye
Now a bohemian arts, music and entertainment hub, this section of the old Bomonti beer factory hosts workshops, exhibitions, live performances, screenings…
Princes’ Islands
Perched above a picturesque line of poplar trees in a spot that has been occupied by a Greek monastery since Byzantine times, this 1896 complex of…
Sultanahmet
Running between the Topkapı Palace walls and Aya Sofya, this picturesque cobbled street is named after the Soğuk Çeşme (Cold Fountain) at its southern end…
Istanbul
Designed by Mimar Sinan and constructed around 1572, this türbe was part of a külliye (mosque complex) commissioned by Ottoman statesman Sokullu Mehmet…
Museum of the Princes' Islands
Princes’ Islands
Relegated to an isolated site next to Aya Nikola Beach on the southeastern side of the island, this excellent museum is often overlooked by visitors but…
Istanbul
When an unremarkable 1950s municipal building on this site was demolished in 2010, the construction crew made an exciting subterranean discovery: a…
Istanbul
Süleyman the Magnificent built this square-shaped mosque between 1543 and 1548 as a memorial to his son Mehmet, who died of smallpox in 1543 at the age of…
Istanbul
Constructed by order of the mother of Selim I and one of the wives of Beyazıt II, this now-decommissioned early-16th-century hamam is one of the largest…
Church of St Mary of the Mongols
Istanbul
Consecrated in the 13th century and saved from conversion into a mosque by the personal decree of Mehmet the Conqueror, this is the only church in…
Sokullu Şehit Mehmet Paşa Mosque
Sultanahmet
Mimar Sinan designed this mosque in 1571 at the height of his architectural career. Besides its architectural harmony, the mosque is unusual because the…
Istanbul
One of the few architecturally notable modern mosques in İstanbul, this 2009 building was designed by Hüsrev Tayla and its interior is the work of Zeynep…
Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar Literature Museum Library
Sultanahmet
Built into the wall of Gülhane Park, the 19th-century Alay Köşkü (Parade Kiosk) is a polygonal building where the sultan would sit and watch the periodic…
Sultanahmet
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…
Hatice Turhan Valide Sultan Tomb
Istanbul
Reopened in 2019 after a decade-long restoration, this 17th-century imperial türbe (tomb) with its gorgeous İznik tiles and mother-of-pearl inlaid…
Sultanahmet
This lovely little building tucked away in the shadow of Aya Sofya was designed by Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan on the orders of Cafer Ağa, Süleyman the…
Istanbul
Occupying the former imaret (soup kitchen) and kervansaray (caravanserai) of the Beyazıt Mosque's külliye, this library has recently been the subject of a…
Istanbul
Though it's a wonderful spot to observe local life, the vibrant Women's Bazaar isn't for the faint-hearted. Freshly slaughtered sheep carcasses swing in…
Istanbul
This charming mosque complex on the waterfront was designed by Mimar Sinan and built in 1580 for one of Süleyman the Magnificent's grand viziers, Şemsi…
Beyoğlu
With a brief to explore critical and timely issues in visual and material culture, the İstiklal branch of the SALT cultural centre is one of the city's…
Beyoğlu
Occupying a former tobacco warehouse, this alternative space is operated by Anadolu Kültür (www.anadolukultur.org), a not-for-profit organisation that…
Istanbul
This little mosque is fairly unprepossessing from the outside, but the interior is a totally different story. The walls are decorated with gorgeous İznik…
Mihrişah Valide Sultan Complex
Istanbul
Commissioned by Mihrişah Valide Sultan, mother of Sultan Selim III, this late-18th-century complex includes a baroque-style türbe (tomb), medrese …
Sultanahmet
This outrageously curvaceous rococo gate leads into the precincts of what was once the grand vizierate, or Ottoman prime ministry, known in the West as…
Istanbul
To the right (southeast) of the main entrance to the Süleymaniye mosque is its cemetery, home to the octagonal tombs of Süleyman and his wife Haseki…
Sultanahmet
Topkapı Palace's Imperial Gate leads to the palace's First Court, known as the Court of the Janissaries or the Parade Court. You can go through the gate…
Istanbul
This busy weekly market sells food, clothing and household goods. It's held in the streets behind and to the north of Fatih Mosque.
Kadıköy
Polish artists Chazme and Sepe created this 2014 mural, which is titled İstanbul in acknowledgement of the word's meaning in Ancient Greek ('the City').
Sultanahmet
This ornate rococo-style fountain outside the Imperial Gate to Topkapı Palace's First Court was built in 1728 by the sultan who so favoured tulips.
Kadıköy
This distinctive work by Chilean street artist INTI, portraying a sad-looking woman holding an apple, was created for the 2013 Mural Ist Festival.
Kadıköy
Russian street artist Rustam Qbic created his Miracle mural of a woman with a rose head for the 2015 Mural İstanbul Festival.
