Yildiz Palace Museum
Yildiz Palace Museum
Yildiz Palace Museum (Barbaros Bulvari, Serencebey Yokusu, No. 62 Besiktas/ Istanbul) — The first pavilion on this site was built by Sultan Ahmed I, during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. At the end of the 18th century, Sultan Selim III built Yıldız Pavilion for his mother Sultan Mihrişah and a fountain for his father. Sultan Albulaziz, who stayed at the Yıldız Köşk (kiosk) during summers, added state apartments and more kiosks to the structure.
The main construction was started during the reign of Sultan Abdulhamid II, and the pavilion was called Saray-i Humayun (Central Palace). Throughout this period, buildings for the Sultan’s private use, as well as repair and carpenter’s shops, theaters, museums and more were added to the structure. In 1978 the Pavilion was conveyed to the Ministry of Culture and started to operate as a museum under the name of ‘Directorate of the Museum of Yildiz Palace’ from 1993. The museum houses objects from the converted carpentry workshop of Sultan Abdülhamid II, as well as exquisite porcelain, vases, and gifts sent to the Sultan.
Admission: 10 TL per person. Hours: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm daily (closed on Tuesdays).
Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum
Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum
Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum (Sultanahmet Mh., Meydanı Sok. No:46, 34122 İstanbul) — Built in 1524, the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum is housed in the former palace of İbrahim Paşa, the grand vizier to Süleyman the Magnificent. The palace is truly spectacular and impressive, and it was even more so in its heyday.
Before being converted into a museum, this remarkable palace served as a prison, a home for foreign ambassadors, a clothing factory, and a barracks. Today, the museum contains exquisite examples of Islamic calligraphy, tiles, and rugs, as well as ethnographic displays, such as dioramas of Turkic nomadic life. Its carpet collection is rated as one of the best in the world, and attracts serious history buffs and carpet enthusiasts. In the main section of the museum, you will see treasures from the palaces of the Abbasid caliphates from Baghdad and Samarra, including colorful mosaics and a fresco depicting two slave girls dancing, as well as a splendid door rescued from the Great Mosque in Cizre (south-eastern Turkey), dating back to 1155. Add to that some Selçuk pieces and some fine “Miletus” ceramics (actually made in İznik), and you have an excellent collection that is not to be missed
Admission: 35 TL per person. Hours: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm (April-October), 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (November-March) daily (closed on Mondays).
Topkapi Palace
Topkapi Palace
Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Sarayi, Sultanahmet, Eminonu, Istanbul) — this was the first Ottoman palace to be built (1466-1478) in the newly conquered capital of the Empire by Mehmet II. Located on the spot where the foundations of the city were first laid in ancient times by Megarian Chief Byzas in the 7th century BC, the palace boasts one of the most beautiful views of Istanbul, incorporating theBosphorus, the Golden Horn, the two shores and the sea of Marmara. Unlike the European palaces, Topkapi is not a single monumental structure but a more organic complex made up of various kiosks, gardens and areas spread over the tip of the historical peninsula at the entry of the Golden Horn. Topkapi Palace served as the residence of Ottoman sultans for about 400 years, until Abdulmecid built the Dolmabahce Palace. In its hey-days, there were between 8,000-10,000 people living in the palace, mostly being the Janissaries.
Admission: 72 TL per person (museum), 42 Tl (harem), and 36 TL (Hagia Irene Monument). Hours: 9:00 am – 6:45 pm (summer), 9:00 am – 4:45 pm (winter).
Sultan Ahmed Mosque
Sultan Ahmed Mosque
Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Sultanahmet Mh., At Meydanı No:7, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul) — although it is popularly known as the Blue Mosque, its real name is Sultan Ahmet Mosque. Befitting his original profession, its architect Mehmet Aga 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. Some of these social and cultural buildings have not survived to our day.
The architect was a student of Sinan, the greatest architect of classical Turkish architecture. He applied a plan used previously by his master, but on a larger scale. The main entrance to Sultan Ahmet Mosque is on the Hippodrome side. There is an outer courtyard, and the inner courtyard and the edifice itself are elevated.
There are three entrances to the mosque interior. The wealthy and colorful vista inside created by the paintings, tiles and stained glass complements the exterior view. The interior has a centralized plan; the main and side domes rise on four large columns that support broad and pointed arches. The walls of the galleries surrounding the three sides of the interior chamber are decorated by over 20,000 exquisite Iznik tiles. The areas above the tiles and the inside of the domes are decorated with paintwork. The blue of the paintwork, which gives the mosque its name, was not the color of the decorations originally; they were painted blue during later restorations. During the last renovation, completed in 1990, the darker blue color of the interior decorations painted as its original light colors.
Free admission (donations accepted). Open daily (except Fridays — prayer time)
Suleymaniye Mosque
Suleymaniye Mosque
Suleymaniye Mosque (Professor Sıddık Sami Onar Caddesi, Istanbul) — the truly staggering size of the Süleymaniye Camii (Suleymaniye Mosque) is one of its most distinctive features – built by the legendary architect, Mimar Sinan, it is known as one of his masterpieces, and his largest design. It is not just the awe-inspiring size that is impressive (the central dome stands 47m high), but also the elegantly decorated interior. The sense of space and light is emphasized the supporting semi-domes to the northwest and southeast and the monumental arched spaces to the southwest and northeast. It took eight years to build, and was completed in 1557, as tribute to Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. The beautiful Suleymaniye Mosque is a fitting tribute to both the sultan and the architect. Suleyman was the longest reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1520-1566), and is regarded by some as a “Second Solomon” because of the harmony and justice under his rule.
The history of the Suleymaniye Mosque hasn’t always been easy. It was ravaged by fire in 1660, and when it was restored by architect, Fossati (under the command of Sultan Mehmet IV) it was changed into a more baroque style, damaging the original design. During World War I, the courtyard was used as a weapons depot, which led to another fire when some of the munitions ignited. It wasn’t fully restored until 1956.
Free admission (donations accepted). Hours: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm daily except Fridays.
Rahmi M. Koc Museum
Rahmi M. Koc Museum
Rahmi M. Koc Museum (Hasköy Cd. 5, Istanbul) – this is the first major museum in Turkey dedicated to the history of Transport, Industry and Communications (founded by the head of the Koç industrial group – one of Turkey’s most prominent conglomerates). Housed in magnificent buildings – themselves prime examples of industrial archaeology – on the shore of the historic Golden Horn, the collection contains thousands of items from gramophone needles to full size ships and aircraft.
Admission: 12.50 TL (adult), 6 TL (student); submarine: 7 TL (adult), 5 TL (student); planetarium: 2 TL (adult, students and children). Hours: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm (Tuesday- Friday), 10:00 am – 6:00 pm (weekends and public holidays).
Obelisk of Theodosius
Obelisk of Theodosius
Obelisk of Theodosius (Binbirdirek, Istanbul) — Around 1490 BC the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III erected two obelisks before the Karnak temple in Luxor to commemorate the victories of his forces in Mesopotamia. The obelisks were made of rare pink granite. In the 4th century AD, an unknown Roman emperor who wanted to accomplish something impressive that would create excitement among his people had the colossal obelisk brought to Istanbul.
For years it was left lying in a corner of the Hippodrome. In 390, during the reign of Theodosius I, it was erected with great difficulty by Proclus, a city administrator. It is the oldest monument in the city and has always been considered magical. The obelisk rests on four bronze blocks on a Roman base decorated with reliefs. These depict the emperor, his children and other prominent personalities watching the races from the imperial box, as well as the spectators, musicians, dancers and chariot races. The obelisk measures 25.60 m including the base.
Maiden’s Tower
Maiden’s Tower
Maiden’s Tower (Üsküdar Salacak Mevkii, Üsküdar/İstanbul) – a.k.a. “Kiz Kulesi”, this site is located off the coast of Salacak neighborhood within Istanbul’s Üsküdar district (at the southern entrance of the Bosphorus). The name comes from a legend: the Byzantine emperor heard a prophecy telling him that his beloved daughter would die at the age of 18 by a snake. So he decided to put her in this tower built on a rock on the Bosphorus isolated from the land thus no snake could kill her. But she couldn’t escape from her destiny after all, a snake hidden in a fruit basket brought from the city bit the princess and killed her.
After several restorations in wood and stone, Emperor Alexius Comnenos built a strong defense tower in the 12th century AD calling it Arcla, meaning “Small Tower”. The tower was used as a lighthouse and control tower also during the Ottoman period after the Conquest of Constantinople. Final restoration was done in 1998 and opened as a restaurant
How to get there: It’s possible to take a boat from either from Kabataş or Salacak (on the road between Uskudar and Harem) for 20 TL. It takes 10 minutes from Kabataş and less than a minute from Üsküdar. Make sure to check the time schedule of the boat service in advance. Hours: 10:00 am – 6:45 pm (Saturday), 9:15 am – 6:45 pm (Sunday). Closed on Mondays.
Little Hagia Sophia
Little Hagia Sophia
Little Hagia Sophia (Küçük Ayasofya Mh., Fatih/İstanbul) — The oldest surviving Byzantine monument in Istanbul, Küçük (“Little”) Hagia Sophia was constructed under the emperor Justinian near the southern city walls on the shores of the Sea of Marmara in 527–536 AD.
In 1504, the building was converted into a mosque. In the 1950s, the area in front of the city walls near the building was claimed from the sea and opened to traffic. A railway was later built next to the building. Although the sanctuary was restored in 1996, it was damaged by an earthquake in 1999, resulting in a series of cracks in the central dome that have allowed rainwater to seep in. Restoration work on this site was completed in 2007.
With such worked completed, both this site’s exterior and interior look virtually brand-new, with smooth plaster and fresh paint. The Ottoman-style decoration inside is pleasant for a mosque, but bears no resemblance to what the building looked like in Byzantine times when gold mosaics glimmered in the dome and colored marble glowed on the walls. Some beautiful 6th-century decorative elements remain, however. Note the irregular octagonal floor plan, and the beautiful red- and green-marble breccia columns topped by intricately-carved Byzantine marble capitals. Above the capitals, a band of marble with Greek letters in relief offers evidence of the building’s first use.
Free Admission. Hours: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm (summer), 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (winter).
Istanbul Modern / Istanbul Museum of Modern Art
Istanbul Modern / Istanbul Museum of Modern Art
Istanbul Modern / Istanbul Museum of Modern Art (Meclis-i Mebusan Cad. Liman İşletmeleri Sahası Antrepo 4, Karaköy, Istanbul) — The Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Turkey’s first private museum to organize modern and contemporary art exhibitions was founded in 2004 and occupies an 8,000 square meter site on the shores of the Bosphorus. Istanbul Modern embraces a global vision to collect, preserve, exhibit and document works of modern and contemporary art and make them accessible to art lovers.
As part of its commitment to sharing Turkey’s artistic creativity with wide audiences and promoting its cultural identity in the international art world, Istanbul Modern hosts a broad array of interdisciplinary activities. Apart from permanent and temporary exhibition galleries, a photography gallery, and spaces for educational and social programs, the museum offers a cinema, restaurant, design store and an extensive library.
Admission: 72 TL (adult), 54 TL (student). Free admission for (for all Turkish residents) on Thursdays. Hours: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday), 10:00 am – 8:00 pm (Thursday); 11:00 am – 6:00 pm (Sunday), closed on Mondays.
