Sights

Palaces, Mosques, Museums, Monuments, Excursions

Palaces:
Topkapi Palace: The great palace of the Ottoman sultans between the 15th and 19th centuries. Open everyday except Tuesday.

Dolmabahce Palace: Built in the 19th century by Sultan Abdulmecit. lt has an impressive frontage of 600 m on the Istanbul Strait. Open everyday except Monday and Thursday.

Beylerbeyi Palace: Built by Sultan Abdulaziz in the 19th century, on the Asian side of the Istanbul Strait with a beautiful garden with magnolia trees. Open everyday except Monday and Thursday.

Goksu Palace: Built by Sultan Abdulmecit in the 19th century; It was used as a summer residence. Open everyday except Monday and Thursday.

Yildiz Palace: Built over a long period and completed in the 19th century. Situated at the top of a hill with one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the Istanbul Strait. Open everyday except Monday and Thursday.

Aynali Kavak Summer Palace: Built in the 18th century, at the Golden Horn; one of the most beautiful examples of traditional Turkish architecture. Open everyday except Monday and Thursday.

Ihlamur Pavilion: Built in the 19th century; taking its name from the linden trees that grow in abundance in the garden. Open everyday except Monday and Thursday.

Maslak Pavilion: Built in the 19th century on a shady green hill, as hunting lodge; having an interesting decoration with the architectural style of the Ottoman period. Open everyday except Monday and Thursday.

Mosques:
Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque): Built in the 17th century; facing St. Sofia. Also known as the Blue Mosque because of its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles. (There are light and sound shows in the evenings during the tourist season.)

Suleymaniye Mosque: The mosque where Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent and his wife are buried; built in the 16th century by the famous architect, Sinan, and considered to be the most beautiful of the imperial mosques in Istanbul.

Rustem Pasa Mosque: Another skillful accomplishment of architect Sinan. Built in the 16th century by Rustem Pasa, the grand vizier and son-in-law of Suleyman the Magnificent.

Fatih Mosque: Built in the 15th century, it bears the name of Fatih Sultan Mehmet, the conqueror of Istanbul, being the site of his mausoleum.

Eyup Mosque: The first mosque built after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul. Attracts pilgrims with the greatly venerated tomb of Eyup, who was the standard-bearer of prophet Mohammed and who died in an assault on Constantinapol in AD 670.

Yeni Mosque: Built in the 16th century, is one of the best known sights in Istanbul.

Sokollu Mehmet Pasa Mosque: Built in the 16th century; one of the most beautiful examples of classical Turkish architecture, and is another masterpiece of architect Sinan.

Mihrimah Sultan Mosque (Edirnekapi): Designed by Sinan and built in the 16th century by Mihrimah Sultan, the daughter of Suleyman the Magnificent.

Museums:
Aya Sofya Museum (Saint Sofia): This ancient basilica, built by Constantine the Great and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century, it is one of the architectural marvels of all time. Its immense dome is 55 meters from the ground and is 31 meters in diameter. The beautiful decorations include fine Byzantine mosaics. (Open everyday except Monday.)

Kariye Museum: This 11th century church of St. Saviour of Chora is, after St. Sofia, the most important Byzantine monument in Istanbul. The walls are decorated with superb 14th century frescoes and mosaics, on a golden background. The church is a remarkable museum of Byzantine art. Here you will find a quiet, carefully tended garden facing old wooden houses, where you can enjoy your tea or coffee in peace. (Open everyday except Tuesday.)

St. Irene Museum: St. Irene was the first church in Istanbul, built by Constantine in the 4th century and rebuilt by Justinian. It is reputed as the site of a pre-Christian temple. (Open everyday except Monday.)

Yerebatan Sarnici: Close to St. Sofia is this 6th century Byzantine cistern known as the Underground Palace or "Yerebatan Sarayi". Its fine brick vaulting is supported by 336 Corinthian columns. (Open everyday except Tuesday.)

Archaeological Museums: These are situated on the boundary of the first court of Topkapi Palace. The very rich collection of antiquities in the recently renovated Archeological Museum includes the celebrated Alexander Sarcophagus. The Museum of the Ancient Orient displays antiquities from the Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Hatti, and Hittite civilizations. (Open everyday except Monday.)

Cinili Pavilion (Museum of Turkish Ceramics): This pavilion, or "kosk", was built by Fatih Sultan Mehmet in the 15th century. It contains beautiful Iznik tiles from the 16th century fine examples of Seljuk and Ottoman tiles and ceramics. (Open everyday except Monday.)

Ibrahim Pasa Palace (Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art): Built in 1524 by Ibrahim Pasa, the grand vizier of Suleyman the Magnificent, it had been the most grand private residence ever built in the Ottoman Empire. It is now used as a museum, containing many beautiful Turkish and Persian miniatures, Seljuk tiles, Korans and antique carpets. (Open everyday except Monday.)

Aviation Museum: Located at Yesilkoy, this museum traces the development of aviation in Turkey. (Open everyday except Monday.)

Naval Museum Turkey's Naval Museum opened in 1897, and changed homes four times before finally settling in the present building in 1961. The museum has constantly grown, developed and renewed itself, reflecting corresponding changes in the Turkish Navy. -more-

Naval Museum: Situated in the Besiktas quarter, this museum contains big kayaks that were used to row the sultans across the Istanbul Strait, and also many interesting exhibits from the Ottoman naval history. (Open everyday except Monday and Thursday.)

Military Museum: The exhibits from Ottoman military history here, include the large field-tents used in campaigns. There are performances by "Mehter Takimi" (the Ottoman military band) between the hours 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Open everyday except Monday and Tuesday.)

Ataturk Museum: This is the house in Sisli, where Ataturk lived and contains his personal effects. (Open everyday except Saturday and Sunday.)

Sadberk Hanim Museum: This is a charming museum housed in two restored wooden villas. The museum is dedicated to old Turkish art and handicrafts, and includes an archeological section. It is situated at Buyukdere on the shores of Bosphorus. (Open everyday except Wednesday.)

Museum of Fine Arts: Located at Besiktas, it is one of the best fine-arts museums in Turkey, with paintings and sculptures from the period between the end of the 19th century and the present time. (Open everyday except Monday and Tuesday.)

Museum of Turkish Carpets: This museum is near the Sultan Ahmet Mosque and it contains a fine collection of Turkish carpets and kilims, including some very old examples. (Open everyday except Sunday and Monday.)

Mosaic Museum: This museum was built to preserve "in situ", exceptionally fine mosaic pavements of the 5th and 6th-centuries, which remained from the Great Palace of the Byzantine Emperor. (Open everyday except Monday.)

City Museum: This museum houses a collection of objects covering the period between the Turkish conquest of Istanbul and today. The entrance is by the Yildiz Palace Garden. (Open everyday except Thursday.)

Monuments:
Sultan Ahmet Square: In front of the Blue Mosque is the site of the ancient Hippodrome, the scene of chariot races and the center of Byzantine civic life. Only three of the monuments, which once decorated it, remain: the Obelisk of Teodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine. Remains from the curved end section of the Hippodrome's wall can be seen to the south of these three monuments. Today, it is a center of historical, cultural and touristic activities. The square, with its surroundings, is like an open-air museum. The delightfully restored 18th century houses on Sogukcesme Street, are now guest houses for tourists and also a fascinating library of books on Istanbul.

Ahmet III Fountain: Standing at the entrance to Topkapi Palace, it is one of the most magnificent free-standing fountains built in 1729 as a gift to Ahmet III. Highly ornamented and covered with a pointed roof with deep eaves, it is a fine example of fountain architecture.

Rumeli Hisari: The Rumelian Fortress, built by Fatih Sultan Mehmet in 1452 prior to the conquest of Istanbul, was completed in only four months. It is one of the most beautiful works of military architecture anywhere in the world and is now used as the setting for some of the events of Istanbul Festival. (Open everyday except Monday.)

Galata Tower: This huge tower, built by the Genoese in 1348, is 62 meter-high. From the top there is a wonderful view of the Golden Horn and the Istanbul Strait. It now houses a restaurant, a night-club and a bar.

Beyazit Tower Two earlier timber fire towers were themselves swallowed up to flames, but the present Beyazit tower made of stone has survived since 1828. It is still used as a fire tower today as in the past. By DENIZ KAYA Photos ARGUS -more-

Beyazit Tower: This tower (85 m high) was built by Mahmut II in 1828, as a fire tower.

Istanbul City Walls: Built in the 5th-century by Emperor Thedosius II, these walls (with some sections completely restored) stretch 7 kms from the Marmara Sea to the Golden Horn. With many towers and bastions, they had once been the mightiest fortifications in Christendom. UNESCO has declared the city walls and the area which they enclose, one of the cultural heritage's of the world.

Bozdogan-Valens Aqueduct: Built by Emperor Valens in AD 386, this aqueduct had supplied the Byzantine, and later, the Ottoman palaces with water. About 900 meter of the double tier arches remain.

Kiz Kulesi: Known as the Leander's Tower, "Kiz Kulesi" is one of the romantic symbols of Istanbul. Constructed first in the 12th century on a islet at the entrance to the Istanbul Harbor, the present building dates from the 18th century. -more-

Excursions:
Istanbul Strait (Bosphorus): A stay in Istanbul is not complete without the traditional and unforgettable boat-excursion along the Istanbul Strait, the winding waterway separating Europe and Asia. Lined with modern hotels, old wooden villas called "Yali", palaces of marble, fortresses, and small fishing villages, its shores offer a delightfully surprising mixture of past and present, splendor and simple beauty. The best way of seeing Istanbul Strait is to board one of the passenger boats that regularly zigzag between the shores, starting from Eminonu and stopping alternately on the Asian and European sides. The round-trip takes about 6 hours.

Halic (the Golden Horn): This horn-like shaped bay lies on the European side of Istanbul and is one of the best natural harbors in the world. As such, it was very important in Byzantine and Ottoman times. Today, the bay is surrounded by lovely parks and promenades. As the sun sets behind the Golden Horn, one can watch the skyline of the city like in a fairy-tale. The streets along the banks of the Golden Horn are like an open-air museum.

Princess Islands: These were the islands of retreat for the Byzantine Princess and are famous for their beautiful pine-woods and beaches. They are Buyukada where you can wander around in a horse-drawn carriage (fayton), Kinali, Sedef, Burgaz and Heybeliada. There are regular ferry services and sea bus services to these islands.

Polonezkoy: This village on the Asian side, is founded in the 1 6th-century by Polish immigrants. It is a good picnicking area.

Sile: Located on the Black Sea Coast, Sile is famous for its sandy beaches, fish restaurants and hotels.

Yalova: It is a thermal resort with cures for rheumatism, and here are many thermal baths and comfortable hotels. It can be reached by land and sea transport. Cinarcik, Ciftlikkoy, Gokcedere-Uvezpinar, Korukoy, and Esenkoy are beautiful holiday areas with beaches and camping facilities.