Highlights - Interactive Istanbul

museums, palaces, mosques

There are many museums in Istanbul: Topkapi Palace (closed on tuesdays), Byzantine Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) Mosque, Blue Mosque, Underground Cistern, Grand Bazaar (closed on sundays & holidays), Spice market (closed on holidays), Dolmabahce Palace (closed on mondays), Beylerbeyi Palace on the Asian side (closed on mondays), Archaeological museum, Turkish & Islamic Arts museum, Kariye Chora museum, Sadberk Hanim museum (closed on wednesdays), Mosaics museum (closed for restorations), Rumelihisari Fortress (closed on mondays), Suleymaniye mosque, Military museum (closed on mondays & tuesdays), Naval museum (closed on mondays & tuesdays), Modern Arts museum (closed on mondays), Miniaturk (Turkey in miniatures), Rahmi Koc Industry museum (closed on mondays), Sabanci Arts & Calligraphy museum (closed on mondays), Santralistanbul electric museum, Yildiz Palace (closed on mondays), Galata tower, Eyup mosque, Sokollu Pasha mosque, Rustem Pasha mosque. Jewish Heritage tours are also possible with a special permission and advance reservation only.

other sites

Besides the above museums, palaces and mosques to visit, other interesting sites to go or things to do in Istanbul are: a Turkish coffee at the Cafe Pier Loti, waterpipe in a cafeteria at Tophane or in Sultanahmet area, a leisure cruise on the Bosphorus (approximately 1,5hrs), walking on the Princess Islands, the Whirling Dervish ceremony. Some other interesting neighborhoods where you can see local people and life are; Ortakoy, Taksim - Pera, Nisantasi, Moda and Bagdat Caddesi (Avenue) on the Asian side.

shopping

There are many old and traditional bazaars in Istanbul, such as; Grand Bazaar, Egyptian Spice Market, Arasta Bazaar, Sahaflar (book) Bazaar, Kumkapi Fish market, Sariyer Fish Market, Beyoglu Flower & Food market (Cicek Pasaji), and so on. There are also weekly bazaars settled in every neighborhood of the city on one day of the week, frequented mostly by local people.

Istanbul has several modern shopping malls with international and national brand names as well. These are mainly located in the new part of the city, and are open every day of the week usually between 10:00 - 22:00. Some of these shopping centers are: Akmerkez, Metro City, Kanyon, Istinye Park, Meydan, Carousel, Olivium, Capacity, Atrium, Capitol, Tepe Nautilus, Cevahir, Carrefour, Bauhaus, Praktiker, Gotzen, Metro, Ikea, etc.

turkish baths

If you want to relax in a traditional way, you can try a Turkish bath (hammam) with a massage. Some of the old Turkish baths in Istanbul are: Cemberlitas, Cagaloglu, Galatasaray, Suleymaniye, Cardakli, Sofular, Buyuk, Aga, and Eski hammam. Some hotels have a Turkish bath too but it's not the same thing, the original is always much better.

nature

If you like the nature, there are several public gardens or natural sites in Istanbul; Emirgan park, Yildiz park, Hidiv kiosk park, Belgrade forest, Sultanahmet park, Ataturk's Arboretum, and Polonezkoy village. You should also see the shores of the Bosphorus, preferabily with a boat cruise. Don't also forget that tulips are originated from Turkey (not from Holland) and every year there is a tulip festival in Istanbul.