5 Amazing Places to Visit in Istanbul, Turkey

Topkapi Palace or the Seraglio is a very impressive historic Ottoman-era palace complex and museum in Istanbul. In the 15th century the palace served as the main residence and administrative headquarters of the Ottoman sultans. The Topkapi Palace is the biggest and one of the most popular sites to visit in Istanbul.

Aya Sofya aka Hagia Sophia is a Byzantine basilica museum and a magnificent landmark in Istanbul. It was originally a Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal basilica, later an imperial mosque, and is now a museum. Expect to see amazing architecture, glittering mosaics of Biblical scenes, domed former Byzantine church and mosque, a stunning mihrab marking the direction of Mecca and more.

Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as The Blue Mosque due to the striking blue tiles that decorate the interior walls (also called Sultanahmet Camii in Turkish) was built between 1609 and 1616 and is a world famous historical and religious monument in Istanbul. This is another architectural marvel that stands a few minutes’ walk from Hagia Siphia.

The Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul in Turkey. Go underground and explore the amazing Byzantine architecture and see the part the cistern played in supplying water to the city since the 4th century.

Pictured: An abundance of spices and teas on a market stall sold at the Grand Bazaar market - a place in Sultanahmet Districtis that is great for sightseeing as well as souvenir shopping. It is one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world with 61 covered streets, so give yourself some time to see it. There you can get spices, teas, Turkish delights, all sorts of wares, clothing, jewellery and many other things. Overall it’s a mind-blowing abundance of colours and smells and an experience not to be missed. Get ready to haggle! It’s a great place to practice bartering skills.