Archaeological Museum

Sultanahmet, Tel: 520 77 40. Across from the Cinili (Tiled) Kiosk in Topkapi Palace's outermost court is the magnificent Archaeological Museum. The first floor and the annex of the museum is open to the public, displaying a selection of the 60,000 Greco- Roman and Near Eastern antiquities in the collection, including more than 75,000 inscribed clay tablets. Don't miss the wonderfully preserved Alexander Sarcophagus found in Sidon and the treaty of Kadesh, the first peace treaty ever to be signed in the world.
(Open 09.30-16.30. Closed Mondays.)

Tile Museum

Museum of Ancient Orient

Topkapi Palace
Distance: 400 m.

Sultanahmet, Tel: 512 04 80. The legendary palace of the Ottoman sultans from the l5th to the l9th centuries. Low buildings set in a series of courtyards, Topkapi is quite unlike a Western palace.Be sure to see the Harem, the Treasury and the golden-roofed Baghdad Kiosk.

(Open 09.30-17.00. Closed Tuesdays.)

St. Sophia Museum
Distance: 350 m.

The Basilica of St. Sophia, now called the Ayasofya Museum , is unquestionably one of the finest buildings of all time. Built by Constantine the Great and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century, its immense dome rises 55 meters above the ground and its diameter spans 31 meters. You should linger here to absorb the building's majestic serenity and to admire the fine Byzantine mosaics.

(Open every day except Monday).

Blue Mosque
Distance: 300 m.

Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii) Sultanahmet Square. The most famous mosque in the city, built in the early l7th century, distinguished by six minarets and walls covered with amazing blue Iznik tiles.

(Open every day except during prayer times. )

Basilica Cistern
Distance: 400 m.

Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayi) Yerebatan Caddesi, Sultanahmet Square, Tel: 52212 59 The vast awesome columned cavern was the water source for both the Grand Palace of the Byzantine and for the Ottomans’ Topkapi Palace.

Open 09.00-17.30.

Grand Bazaar
Distance: 500 m.

Has several gates: most used are at Cagaloglu and Beyazit Istanbul's legendary bazaar, a labyrinth of over 4000 little shops, is everything you dreamed an oriental market could be. Gold jewellery, carpets, silver bibelots, leather, ceramics, copper and bras objects, embroideries, hand-woven textiles. Best approached from the Nuruosmaniye entrance.

(Open 09.00-19.00 Monday-Saturday.)

Suleymaniye Mosque

Beyazit Sinan's masterpiece. The massive scale of this mosque is best appreciated from a distance. Up close, the mosque is formal and rather forbidding, but it is interesting to wander around the surrounding complex of buildings.

Spice Bazaar
Distance: 1.100 m.

Eminönü. An exotic food market and bazaar selling spices, dried fruits cheeses, olives, as well as towels, slippers, baskets and some jewellery. Outside, to the left, there is a wonderful flower and bird market and to the right merchants busily sell vegetables and fish with lots of local color.

(Open Monday- Saturday 09.00-19.00.)

Yeni Mosque
Distance: 1.100 m.

Eminönü. A late example of classical Ottoman architecture, this is one of the most familiar landmarks in the city.

Sirkeci Train Station
Distance: 1000 m.

Carpet Museum
Distance: 350 m.

(Next to the Blue Mosque), Sultanahmet
Tel: 518 13 30. A wonderful collection of ancient kilims and carpets in a very cool, marble environment. Also a large collection of carpets.

(Open 09.00-12.00, 13.00-16.00.
Closed Sundays and Mondays.)

Mosaic Museum

Opposite Arasta Bazaar (behind the Blue Mosque), Sultanahmet, Tel: 51812 05
Houses the beautiful mosaics discovered in Justinian's Grand Palace of Byzantium.

(Open 09.30-17.00.
Closed Tuesdays.)

Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts

At Meydani 46, Sultanahmet, Tel: 51813 85, 51818 05. A delightful museum on the ancient hippodrome, housed in Ibraham Pasa Sarayi, the home of Suleyman the Magnificent's Grand Vizier. Beautifully displayed Islamic objects and antique carpets.

(Open 10.00- 17 00. Closed Mondays.)

Galata Tower
Distance: 2.500 m.

Büyükhendek Sokak, Sishane Tel: 2451160 Galata Tower was built by the Genoeses as the principle tower of the Galata walls in 1348. It is 61 meters high and consists of 12 floors including a cellar. Its roof has been restored and is being used a restaurant now.

(Open every day 08.00-21.00. )

Leander Tower

Also called Kiz Kulesi, this building is one of the romantic symbols of Istanbul. First constructed in the 12th century on a tiny island at the entrance to Istanbul's harbor, the present building dates from the 18th century.

Akataleptos

Church of Pantocrator

Church of St. Nicholas

Calligraphy Museum

Beyazit Square, Tel: 527 58 51.
The Ottomans, always uneasy with human pictorial representation, preferred expression in calligraphy. This is the only museum of calligraphy in the world.

(Open 09.00-16.00. Closed Sundays and Mondays.)

Beyazit Tower and University of Istanbul

Beyazit Mosque

Rüstempasa Mosque

Saint Irene Museum

Kumkapi Fish Village and Restaurants

Yenikapi and
Seabus Port