Visiting Istanbul? Here is a list of activities that you should do in Istanbul
Istanbul is one of the most popular places in Turkey and Europe. It is an excellent destination for couples, foodies, artists, history lovers and shoppers
Hagia Sophia was built in 537 AD as a cathedral. It was the biggest cathedral in the world for about 900 years till the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Then it was converted in to a mosque by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conquerer. Today, it is a mosque and one of the greatest sample of Eastern Roman Architecture.
Cagaloglu Turkish Bath is an active bath in the hearth of Istanbul since 1741. Bathing there is in the list of ‘1000 things to do before die’
Istanbul is the only city located in 2 continents at the same time. Famous Bosphorus Strait divides city in to two, Asian Side and European Side.
There are palaces, luxury houses, mosques, bridges, fortresses and more on the Bosphorus.
Topkapi Palace was the seat of the Ottoman Sultans for about 400 years. Now, it is a museum and the exhibitions of clocks, weapons, treasuries and sacred trusts are incredible and unique in the world.
Grand Bazaar is the biggest and oldest shopping mall in the world. It was opened in 1461 and since then it is still active. There are 4thousand shops , 96 streets and 23 gates. It offers a big variety of products but especially hand made carpets, tiles, scarfs and leather jackets are the best items you should consider to purchase in Grand Bazaar
Blue Mosque is one of the most famous iconic building of the city. Sultan Ahmed had commissioned the building in 1616 AD. Because of the blue colored tiles from 17th century, it is called Blue Mosque
Turkish Ice Cream is sooo delicious and it is made of goat’s milk. It is flovoured with with vegetables, chocolate and more. Never leave Turkey withour trying ice-cream
Hamdi Restaurant is just by the Spice Bazaar and overlooks the Golden Horn. Their menu is very rich with variety of kebabs and traditional mezes. One of my favorite kebab is Pistachio kebab. I highly recommend you to try Turkish Kebab at Hamdi Restaurant.
Dolmabahce Palace was the final palace for the Ottoman Empire and it is the biggest palace in Turkey. It is laying down along side the Bosphrorus and can be visited every day apart from Mondays.
Taksim Square and Istiklal Street are adjacent to each other. Istiklal Street is one of the most famous pedestrian street of Istanbul. It is full with shops, cafeterias, street musicians, restaurants and more.
Galata Tower was built in 13th century by the Genoese colony as a watch tower to control sea traffic on Bosphorus. It is a museum and you can have the most spectecular view of Old City
Spice Bazaar is one of the authentic bazaar of Istanbul. There are about 90 shops inside and definetly it is the most colorfull bazaar of city. One of the best place to go for herbal teas, spices and Turkish Delights
Pierre Loti Hill is at the Eyup district of Istanbul and overlooks the Golden Horn and Old City. While you are sipping your tea or coffee , you can enjoy the view of the city. Return Cable car cost only 1,00 Dollar, not 25 Euros in Dubrovnik.
Suleymaniye Mosque is an Unesco’s World Heritage site in Istanbul. It dates back 16th century and is built by the famous Ottoman Architect Sinan on behalf of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent.
Galata Bridge connects the both side of the Golden Horn and it is such a popular place for local amateur fishermen.