These amazing underground cisterns, sometimes known as the Sunken Palace (and called Yerebatan Sarayı) in Turkish, are located right across the road from the Aya Sofya in the heart of Sultanahmet. The...
Topkapi Palace was home to the Ottoman sultans until 1853 when the royal court was moved to a new palace on the Bosphorus, Dolmabahçe. A blend of both European and Oriental styles it amazes all who vi...
Looking across the Golden Horn from from Topkapi Palace one landmark stands out, the instantly recognisable round Galata Tower with its conical roof. The tower stands a piercing 62 meters high and dat...
Istanbul’s premier museum, the Archaeology Museum is divided into three distinct sections: the Museum of the Ancient Orient, the Archaeology Museum and the Tiled Kiosk. The Museum of the Ancient Orien...
If you want to stretch your legs whilst in the city yet have seen enough of Istanbul's cultural heritage take a trip out to Yedikule to see the city walls and Yedikule Hisar, the ‘Fortress of the Seve...
Using a traditional hamam is one of the great pleasures of a visit to Turkey. The basic experience is a simple wash down where you can relax on a heated slab of marble and then use the hot water gushi...
This museum is located in what was the palace of Ibrahim Pasa (1493-1536) an important vizier at the time of Süleyman the Magnificent. It houses many thousands of items arranged both chronologically a...
This is an Ottoman-era market selling every oriental condiment anyone might need, in volumes that beggar belief. Originally part of the Yeni Mosque it is locally called the Misir Çarşi, or Egyptian Ma...
Anyone staying more than a day or two in Istanbul should endeavour to catch the ferry from Eminönü to the Princes' Islands, 20km into the Sea of Marmara. A retreat from the busy city these islands are...
