Attractions in Istanbul

Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) is one of the most extraordinary buildings in human history — a 6th-century Byzantine cathedral that served as a mosque, a museum, and is now a functioning mosque again. Its massive dome, seemingly floating on a ring of light, redefined architecture.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) is Istanbul's most iconic silhouette, with six minarets and a cascading dome structure. Its interior is blanketed with over 20,000 handmade blue Iznik tiles that give it its popular name.

The Süleymaniye Mosque is the magnum opus of imperial architect Mimar Sinan, built for Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Many consider it the most harmonious and elegant of all Ottoman mosques.

Designed by the legendary architect Mimar Sinan in the 1550s as part of the Süleymaniye Mosque complex, this hamam remains one of Istanbul's most authentic Ottoman bathing experiences. The twin domed halls for men and women are original 16th-century stone.

The Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici) is a vast underground water reservoir built by Emperor Justinian in 532 AD. Its 336 marble columns, many recycled from ruined Roman temples, create a cathedral-like subterranean forest reflected in still water.

The Chora Church (Kariye Camii) contains the finest surviving examples of Byzantine mosaics and frescoes, rivaling those of Ravenna. Now a functioning mosque, its 14th-century artwork depicts scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary.

The Galata Bridge spans the Golden Horn, connecting the historic old city (Eminönü) with the Beyoğlu district. Its double-deck design features fishermen on the upper walkway and a row of bustling restaurants below.

A 971 m double-arched Roman aqueduct spanning the valley between Istanbul's third and fourth hills, built in 368 CE and still one of the most dramatic ancient engineering feats visible in the city.

Rumeli Hisarı (Rumeli Fortress) is a massive 15th-century fortress built at the narrowest point of the Bosphorus by Sultan Mehmed II, specifically to control the strait and strangle Constantinople's supply lines before the final siege.

Little Hagia Sophia (Küçük Ayasofya Camii) is a 6th-century Byzantine church converted to a mosque, built by Emperor Justinian before the great Hagia Sophia. Its architecture was an experimental precursor to the larger masterpiece.

The Eyüp Sultan Mosque is one of Islam's holiest sites outside Mecca and Medina, built over the tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad who died during the first Arab siege of Constantinople in 674 AD.

Rüstem Paşa Mosque is a small architectural jewel by architect Sinan, tucked away above the shops near the Spice Bazaar. Its walls are covered floor to ceiling with exquisite Iznik tiles — more tiles per square meter than any other Ottoman mosque.

Beylerbeyi Palace is a lavish Neo-Baroque summer residence on the Asian Bosphorus shore, built in 1865 for Sultan Abdülaziz and later used to host European royalty.

The Mihrimah Sultan Mosque at Edirnekapı, designed by Mimar Sinan, crowns the highest point of the old city's land walls. Its massive single dome floats above 161 stained-glass windows, flooding the interior with light.

Perched on Istanbul's fifth hill, the Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque is one of the quietest and most serene imperial mosques, offering sweeping views over the Golden Horn without the crowds of Sultanahmet.

Küçüksu Kasrı is a confection of a Rococo-style Ottoman hunting lodge perched on the Asian Bosphorus shore between two small streams—one of Istanbul's most extravagant small palaces.

Sultanahmet Square is the historic heart of old Istanbul, built on the site of the ancient Roman Hippodrome where chariot races drew 100,000 spectators. Today it's the open-air plaza between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.

The Church of St. Anthony of Padua is Istanbul's largest Roman Catholic church—a striking red-brick Neo-Gothic building on İstiklal Avenue, serving the city's Italian, French and Levantine communities since 1912.

The Galata Mevlevihane is a 15th-century Whirling Dervish lodge near the Galata Tower, now a museum dedicated to the Mevlevi Sufi order and venue for live sema (whirling) ceremonies.

The landscaped courtyard gardens surrounding the Kariye Mosque (formerly the Chora Church) offer a peaceful green setting to appreciate the building's exterior Byzantine brickwork and admire the neighbourhood's traditional wooden houses.

Miniatürk is an open-air miniature park featuring 1:25 scale replicas of Turkey's and the former Ottoman Empire's most significant architectural landmarks, from Hagia Sophia to Mostar Bridge.