Must-see attractions in Istanbul

Dating from 1760, this long white yalı on the shore between Kandilli and Kuçüksu was built for Grand Vizier Mehmed İzzet Paşa, who served in this position…

This non-profit cultural foundation organises the city's best arts festivals and also operates the cutting-edge Salon performance venue, which is located…

Dating from Roman times, the Old City's major boulevard is home to Ottoman mosques, cemeteries, medreses (seminaries) and türbes (tombs), as well as shops…

This historic cemetery has two Jewish sections: one for Sephardic Jews and the other for Karaite Jews. Sadly, many graves have fallen victim to roadworks…

In the square opposite the İstanbul Naval Museum is this Sinan-designed tomb of the admiral of Süleyman the Magnificent's fleet, Barbaros Heyrettin Paşa …

This palace-like building next to the Kasimpaşa iskele (ferry dock) was constructed in the 19th century and once housed the Ottoman Empire's Ministry for…

Designed by notable architect Kemalettin Bey and built between 1916 and 1926, this Ottoman Revivalist–style building originally functioned as an office…

A cantilevered box-like structure built for one of Mustafa II's grand viziers in 1698, this is the oldest yalı on the Bosphorus and was undergoing a major…

Üsküdar's fish market is close to the iskele (dock), at the centre of a bustling shopping precinct. Shops sell fruit, vegetables, dried nuts, pickles and…

This gorgeous baroque sebil (fountain) decorated with pink marble and gilt is part of the late-18th-century Mihrişah Valide Sultan Complex.

This Armenian church in the centre of the bazaar was built in the late 19th century, although an Armenian church in one form or another has occupied this…

One of the city's best art and design schools occupies a number of buildings in Tophane, including the elevated 1803 tophane (arsenal) that gives the…

Off limits to visitors, this grand school building dates from 1907 and is one of the major landmarks along İstiklal Caddesi. The school is one of the most…

This ornate 18th-century imperial hunting pavilion is set in a pretty garden and houses a collection of historic Turkish musical instruments. There's also…

This Ottoman Revivalist–style fire station overlooking Fatih Anıt Park was designed by Konstantinos Kiriakidis, built at the start of the 20th century and…

This frilly white yalı (seafront mansion) built in the late 19th century was designed by Alexandre Vallaury, architect of the Pera Palas Hotel in Beyoğlu.

A wide white building with a red-tiled roof, this yalı was built in the late 18th century. Composer Franz Liszt stayed in it during his visits to the city.

This promontory, named after the sequestered living quarters occupied by the Topkapı Palace harem, separates the Golden Horn from the Sea of Marmara.

This attractive 19th-century arcade off the Fish Market is full of shops that once sold antiques but now seem to stock little except tourist tat.

The curvaceous 18th-century Camondo Stairs, one of Beyoğlu's most distinctive pieces of urban design, run south from Kart Çınar Sokak.