Istanbul, with its unique city silhouette, many historical monuments, museums, palaces, city walls, waterside mansions, scenic wonders and houses of worship which are the heritage of an 8,000-year past, is an elegant center of tolerance and a synthesis of the heritage of the world’s culture and civilization.

Having been the capital of Roman, Byzantium and Ottoman Empires, Istanbul is a fascinating mix of old and new, traditional and modern. It is the only city in the world where more than 120 emperors and sultans reigned for a time period longer than 1600 years.

It was also a religious centre during the time when it was the centre of empires; it has been the base for Patriarch of Eastern Christianity since the beginning and the largest churches and monasteries rose on the grounds of pagan temples here.

Istanbul, in addition to its unmatched historic and cultural past and authentic charm, is the biggest city in Turkey in terms of its population (9.2 million), not to mention the economic life, trade, capital and cultural activities. Nearly half of the overall taxes are collected in this city and its vicinity. Istanbul, with the biggest import/export harbor in the country, is the busiest center and also the starting point of the national and international waterways and airways, connecting Turkey to foreign countries. Another feature of Istanbul is that it is the only city in the world settled on two continents. The European and Asian sides of the city are connected by two bridges.

Istanbul, referred to as the “Capital of Empires”, was founded by the Megaras in 658 B.C. and was named Byzantium after their commander, Byzas.

The historical peninsula stretching between the Marmara Sea and the Golden Horn is like an open air museum full of artifacts bearing the traces of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires.

HISTORICAL PLACES OF INTEREST:

HAGIA SOPHIA MUSEUM

Hagia Sophia, with its history of 1500 years, is among the masterpieces of art and architecture. Its name means “Divine Wisdom” in Greek. It was constructed between 532 and 537 by Emperor Justinian as a basilica. It is the oldest Cathedral in the world, built with the fastest pace. It ranks as the fourth biggest temple after St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome, St. Paul’s Cathedral in London and the Duomo Cathedral in Milan with its 55 meters high and 31 meters wide dome. Hagia Sophia, which was converted into a mosque during the Ottoman period, serves as a museum today and so it is named “Hagia Sophia Museum”.

TOPKAPI PALACE

Topkapi is the largest and oldest palace in the world to survive to our day. In 1924 it was turned into a museum. Situated on the acropolis, the site of the first settlement in Istanbul, it commands an impressive view of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara. The palace is a complex surrounded by 5 km of walls and occupies an area of 700,000 sq. m at the tip of the historical peninsula. It was built in 1470s by Sultan Mehmet The Conquerer.

The treasury section of the Topkapi Palace Museum is the richest collection of its kind in the world. All the pieces exhibited in the four rooms are authentic originals. Masterpieces of the Turkish art of jewelry from different centuries and exquisite creations from the Far East, India and Europe entrance visitors. The sacred relics of Islam were brought to the palace after the conquest of Egypt in the 16th century and have been preserved here since that time.

DOLMABAHCE PALACE

The Dolmabahce Palace, a blend of various European architectural styles, was built between 1843-1856 by Karabet Balyan, the court architect of Sultan Abdulmecid. The Ottoman sultans had many palaces in all ages, but the Topkapi was the official residence until the completion of the Dolmabahce Palace.The three-storied palace built on a symmetrical plan has 285 rooms and 43 halls. There is a 600 m long quay along the sea and two monumental gates, one of them very ornate, on the land side. Well-kept, beautiful gardens surround this seaside palace. In the middle, there is a large ballroom with a ceiling higher than the other sections. The entrance section of the palace was used for the receptions and meetings of the sultan, and the wing behind the ballroom used as the harem section.

In the Republican era, Atatürk used to reside in this palace when he visited Istanbul. He died here in 1938 and before his body was taken to Ankara, it was laid in state while the public poured in to pay him their last respects.

YILDIZ PALACE

Yildiz Palace is a 500,000 sqm complex of pavilions and gardens scattered over a large area of hills and valleys overlooking the Bosphorus and surrounded by high walls. During his thirty-three year reign, Sultan Abdulhamid II used this well-protected palace resembling a city within a city as his official quarters and harem. The different courtyards containing pavilions, pools, greenhouses, aviaries, workshops and servants' quarters were separated from each other by passageways and gates. There are two small and charming mosques situated outside the two main entrances.

BEYLERBEYI PALACE

Beylerbeyi, where the Asian pillar of the Bosphorus Bridge sits, is a pleasant district that has been reserved for palaces since the Byzantine era. Beylerbeyi Palace was built by Sultan Abdulmecid between 1861-1865 on the site of another wooden mansion. The exterior and interior decoration is a blend of Eastern, Turkish and Western motifs. The three-storied building is divided into two sections, the harem (for women) and the selamlik (for men), and has 26 rooms and 6 halls. The original furniture, carpets, curtains and other fixtures have been preserved in good condition. The decorations of the facade on the seaside, the well-kept gardens, the hall with a pool in the central section, and the spiral staircase are some of the eye-catching features of the palace. At the back of the building there is a large pool, as well as the terraces and the stables, the latter very good examples of their kind. Previously, the main road that was used until the 1970's passed through a tunnel beneath the palace garden. The palace, which has two small pavilions on the quay, was also used to accommodate visiting state dignitaries.

SULEYMANIYE MOSQUE

The largest and most imposing mosque in Istanbul, the city of domes and minarets, is the Suleymaniye. The aesthetic supremacy of its interior and exterior and its perfect proportions have been captivating the visitors for centuries. The Suleymaniye Mosque is an architectural masterpiece. Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent entrusted the construction of the mosque to Sinan, the genius of architecture who completed it between 1550-1557. The complex surrounding the mosque was composed of schools, a library, baths, public kitchens, caravanserai, a hospital and shops. The beauty of the exterior of the mosque is best appreciated from a distance. This imperial edifice can be seen in all its magnificence from the Galata Tower or the Galata side of the Golden Horn.

SULTAN AHMET MOSQUE (THE BLUE MOSQUE)

One of the most famous monuments of Turkish and Islamic art, Sultan Ahmet Mosque is one of the symbols of Istanbul. An example of classical Turkish architecture, it is the only mosque that was originally built with six minarets. Istanbul is viewed best from the sea. The magnificent silhouette of Sultan Ahmet Mosque is the most striking part of this scenery. Although it is popularly known as the Blue Mosque, its real name is Sultan Ahmet Mosque. The architect of the mosque, Mehmet Aga, was a student of Sinan, the greatest architect of classical Turkish architecture. He decorated the interior fastidiously like a jeweler. Built between 1609-1616, the mosque used to be part of a large complex, including a covered bazaar, Turkish baths, public kitchens, a hospital, schools, a caravanserai, and the mausoleum of Sultan Ahmet.

KARIYE MUSEUM

Although exact date of its construction is unknown, the edifice is dated to the 11th-14th centuries. Besides its attractive exterior, the mosaics and frescoes inside are considered masterpieces of the Byzantine "renaissance". Mosaic panels in the two narthexes at the entrance depict the lives of the Virgin and Christ in the chronological order described in the Bible. Religious subjects were depicted in the form of frescoes in the side chapel. Prominent church and court personalities also figure in these frescoes. It was characteristic of Byzantine art to add monograms and inscriptions next to the figures, and the splendid edifice displays this. Kariye monastery and its church gained in importance in time when they became neighbors with the imperial palaces. The famous scholar and statesman Theodore Metochites built the side chapel, the exonarthex and had the church decorated in the 1320's and the edifice gained the magnificence it has today.

THE BASILICA CISTERN

The largest and most magnificent covered cistern in the city is entered through a small building to the west of the Hagia Sophia Square. The ceiling of this forest of columns is made of brick and is cross-vaulted. The name of the cistern comes from a basilica that was once located nearby. It was built during the reign of Justinian I (527-565) to supply water to the palaces in the vicinity. Its 336 columns are arranged in 12 rows of 28 each. The cistern measures 140 by 70 meters. The columns are topped with capitals, some of them plain, but most in Corinthian style. The water level in the cistern changed from season to season. The water was distributed through the pipes at different levels in the eastern wall. The ground was cleared during the major restoration in 1987, and when over one meter of mud was removed, the original brick pavement and two marble Medusa heads at the base of two of the columns were revealed. The walkway that was constructed at that time enables visitors to walk around the cistern.

THE RUMELI FORTRESS

Istanbul had been besieged many times before Mehmet the Conqueror took the city in 1453, but it managed to defend itself with the help of the Roman city walls. During very long sieges, provisions were supplied to the city through sea routes. The Rumeli Fortress was built before the siege in 1453 opposite an earlier Turkish fortress on the other shore to prevent any reinforcements and help to the city from the Black Sea. The fortress was completed in the amazingly short time of four months in 1452. This largest and strongest fortress of the Middle Ages lost its importance after the fall of the city. A fine example of classic Turkish military architecture, the fortress adorns the Bosphorus in all its impressiveness. It was restored in the 1950's and turned into a museum. During the annual Istanbul Festival of Arts, the interior of the fortress is used as an amphitheater. It is best viewed from the Asian shore or from the boats operating on the Bosphorus.

GALATA TOWER

Galata Tower was built by the Genoese in 1349 as the archtower of citywalls surrounding Galata. There are various rumours about its construction. Initially named Tower of Christ, it was used as dungeon and watch tower during Ottoman times. It was restored numerous times after fires and storms, the latest of which was in 1964, and reopened in 1967. Galata district is like a history book waiting to be rediscovered every day, waiting for its pages to be turned more frequently.

Galata Tower offers the best view of the Golden Horn, Old Istanbul, the entrance to the Bosphorus and the Asian shore. The tower was erected to observe the port and the city, and after being used for various purposes over the centuries, it has now reassumed its original function of watch tower - this time to enjoy the view. An elevator takes the visitors to the top two floors of the tower that are today occupied by a restaurant and a nightclub. The view of Istanbul is marvelous looking from these two and also from the Panorama Terrace.

THE COVERED (GRAND) BAZAAR

The oldest and largest covered bazaar in the world is situated in the heart of Istanbul. One cannot appreciate this market without visiting it. It resembles a giant labyrinth with approximately sixty lanes and more than three thousand shops. Almost resembling a town, fully covered, this market has grown with time. The bazaar consisted originally of two 15th century buildings with thick walls that were covered with a series of domes. In later centuries the streets around these buildings developed and were covered and new additions were made, turning it into a trading center.

The covered bazaar is crowded and bustling the whole day. Shop owners insistently invite the visitors to their shops. In the large and comfortable shops at the entrance one can find examples of all the hand-made articles produced in Turkey. The handmade carpets and jewelry sold here are the finest examples of traditional Turkish art. Every item on sale carries its tag of authenticity and it can be shipped to anywhere in the world. Along with the carpets and jewelry, these shops offer a wide collection of high-quality Turkish silverware, copper and bronze souvenirs and decorative objects, ceramics, and onyx and leather goods.

THE LEANDER'S TOWER

A symbol of Istanbul, subject of many rumours and fables, it is on a tiny islet where Black Sea meets Marmara Sea. Its history goes back to 2475 BC. Western sources attribute the tower to Leander.

Initially the islet was home to a tomb during the Greek period. During Byzantine period it was used as customs station with construction of the building. It served many purposes such as being a show platform, fortress for defense, place of exile, quarantine room during Ottoman period. It has never lost its main function, which is to guide ships and people at night with its lighthouse for centuries. It guides - especially dreams - from past to future.

For more details: http://www.kultur.gov.tr