Rüstem Paşa Mosque

Istanbul

　　Nestled in the middle of the busy Tahtakale shopping district, this diminutive mosque is a gem. Dating from 1560, it was designed by Sinan for Rüstem Paşa, son-in-law and grand vizier of Süleyman the Magnificent. A showpiece of the best Ottoman architecture and tile work, it is thought to have...

Eyüp Sultan Mosque

Istanbul

　　This important complex marks the supposed burial place of Ebu Eyüp el-Ensari, a friend of the Prophet who fell in battle outside the walls of Constantinople while carrying the banner of Islam during the Arab assault and siege of the city (AD 674 to 678). His tomb is İstanbul's most...

Depo

Istanbul

　　Occupying a former tobacco warehouse, this alternative space is operated by Anadolu Kültür (www.anadolukultur.org), a not-for-profit organisation that facilitates artistic collaboration, promotes cultural exchange and stimulates debates on social and political issues relevant to Turkey, the South Caucasus, the Middle East and the Balkans. It hosts talks, art exhibitions and...

Koç University Research Centre for Anatolian Civilizations

Istanbul

　　With a wealth of scholarly knowledge and archival photos to draw on, the exhibitions regularly staged on the ground floor of this university-affiliated research centre dig deep into different aspects of Turkish history, often with an archaeological bent. They are, however, usually in Turkish only. An auditorium downstairs hosts an...

Church of St Stephen of the Bulgars

Istanbul

　　Known as the 'Iron Church', this distinctive Gothic Revival–style building on the Golden Horn has an extremely beautiful interior, with its gilded iron screens, balcony and columns glinting in the hazy light that filters in through stained-glass windows. It looks set to stay that way for years to come after...

Feriköy Organic Market

Istanbul

　　Established in 2006 as Turkey’s first ‘100% ecological bazaar’, this bustling Saturday market is still going strong, with hundreds of colourful stalls piled high with certified organic fruit and veg. A stroll through the market offers plenty for photographers to snap and self-caterers to buy, including cheeses, bread, dried fruits...

Gülhane Park

Istanbul

　　Gülhane Park was once part of the grounds of Topkapı Palace, accessible only to the royal court. These days crowds of locals come here to picnic under the many trees, promenade past the formally planted flowerbeds, and enjoy wonderful views of the Bosphorus, Sea of Marmara and Princes' Islands from...

Sphendone

Istanbul

　　The only remaining built section of the Hippodrome hints at how monumental the arena was. The level of galleries that once topped this section was damaged during the Fourth Crusade and totally dismantled in the Ottoman period – many of the original columns were used in construction of the Süleymaniye...

Beyazıt State Library

Istanbul

　　Occupying the former imaret (soup kitchen) and kervansaray (caravanserai) of the Beyazıt Mosque's külliye, this library has recently been the subject of a splendid 'minimal intervention' restoration and extension by local architectural firm Tabanlıoğlu Partnership. The multidomed building dates from 1884 and houses a notable rare-book collection and magnificent reading...

İstanbul Arastırmaları Enstitüsü

Istanbul

　　Associated with the nearby Pera Museum, this institution incorporates a publicly accessible research library focusing on the cultural and social history of İstanbul during the Byzantine, Ottoman and Republican periods. It also stages temporary exhibitions, conferences and seminars dealing with this subject. ...

SALT Galata

Istanbul

　　The descriptor 'cultural centre' is used a lot in İstanbul, but is often a misnomer. Here at SALT Galata it really does apply. Housed in a magnificent 1892 bank building designed by Alexandre Vallaury and cleverly adapted by local architectural firm Mimarlar Tasarım, the cutting-edge institution offers an exhibition space,...

Turkish Hamam Culture Museum

Istanbul

　　Constructed by order of the mother of Selim I and one of the wives of Beyazıt II, this now-decommissioned early-16th-century hamam is one of the largest in the city. Also known as the Hamam-ı Kebır (Old Bathhouse), the square-planned building with its original male and female domed sections now functions...

Hippodrome

Istanbul

　　The Byzantine emperors loved nothing more than an afternoon at the chariot races, and this rectangular arena alongside Sultanahmet Park was their venue of choice. In its heyday, it was decorated by obelisks and statues, some of which remain in place today. Re-landscaped in more recent years, it is one...

Maçka Park

Istanbul

　　On a sunny weekend afternoon, you’ll find this slender green oasis in central İstanbul full of picnicking families, canoodling couples and slackline-balancing teens. Year-round, it’s beloved by neighbourhood dog-walkers, joggers and anyone else seeking a bit of open space and fresh air as a respite from the city’s crowds and...

Aqueduct of Valens

Istanbul

　　Rising majestically over the traffic on busy Atatürk Bulvarı, this limestone aqueduct is one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. Commissioned by Emperor Valens and completed in AD 378, it linked the third and fourth hills and carried water to a cistern at Beyazıt Meydanı before finally ending up at...

Hünkâr Kasrı

Istanbul

　　Built over a grand archway attached to the New Mosque, this small kasrı (pavilion) or mahfili (loge) dates from the same period and functioned as a waiting area and retreat for the sultans. It comprises a salon, bedchamber and toilet and is decorated with exquisite İznik tiles throughout. Entry is...

Spice Bazaar

Istanbul

　　Vividly coloured spices are displayed alongside jewel-like lokum (Turkish delight) at this Ottoman-era marketplace, providing eye candy for the thousands of tourists and locals who make their way here every day. Stalls also sell caviar, dried herbs, honey, nuts and dried fruits. The number of stalls selling tourist trinkets increases...

Yapı Kredi Kültür Sanat

Istanbul

　　Towering over Galatasaray Sq, this sleek cultural centre affiliated with a major Turkish bank stages art exhibitions, hosts classical-music concerts, and is home to a research library of books on arts and culture. The light-filled exterior staircase overlooking İstiklal Caddesi is a popular spot for selfies. ...

Meshur Dondurmacı Ali Usta

Istanbul

　　Weekend and summer-night saunters down Moda Caddesi wouldn't be the same without a cone of the dondurma (ice cream) produced by the five brothers who operate this much-loved parlour. There are more than 40 flavours on offer, and regulars usually opt for a chocolate and nut topping on their choice....

Kadıköy Produce Market

Istanbul

　　An aromatic, colourful and alluring showcase of the best fresh produce in the city, the Kadıköy Pazarı is foodie central for locals and is becoming an increasingly popular destination for tourists. Equally rewarding to explore independently or on a guided culinary walk, it’s small enough to retain a local feel...

İstiklal Caddesi

Istanbul

　　Once called the Grand Rue de Pera but renamed İstiklal (Independence) in the early years of the Republic, Beyoğlu's premier boulevard is a perfect metaphor for 21st-century Turkey, being an exciting mix of modernity and tradition. Contemporary boutiques and cutting-edge cultural centres are housed in its grand 19th-century buildings, and...

Barış Manço House

Istanbul

　　One of the pioneering musicians who mixed rock sounds with traditional Turkish folk music to establish the Anatolian rock genre in the 1960s and 1970s, Barış Manço is among Turkey’s best-known artists. After his death in 1999, his former home in a quiet part of Kadıköy was turned into a...

Beşiktaş Çarşı

Istanbul

　　The beating heart of Beşiktaş, this bustling backstreet area packed with shops, restaurants, bars, cafes – and the neighbourhood’s youthful crowd – is known simply as ‘çarşı’ (market). Its hubs are the fish market, covered by a distinctive steel canopy and lined at the back by meyhane (tavern) restaurants, and...

Dolmabahçe Palace

Istanbul

　　These days it’s fashionable for architects and critics influenced by the less-is-more aesthetic of Bauhaus masters to sneer at buildings such as Dolmabahçe. However, the crowds that throng to this imperial palace with its neoclassical exterior and over-the-top interior clearly don’t share that disdain, flocking here to tour its Selamlık...

SALT Beyoğlu

Istanbul

　　With a brief to explore critical and timely issues in visual and material culture, the İstiklal branch of the SALT cultural centre is one of the city's most interesting arts-focused institutions. Occupying a former apartment building dating from the 1850s, it houses exhibition spaces, a cinema, a bookshop and a...

İstanbul Modern

Istanbul

　　This lavishly funded and innovative museum has an extensive collection of Turkish art and also stages a constantly changing and uniformly excellent program of mixed-media exhibitions by high-profile local and international artists. Its permanent home is next to the Bosphorus in Tophane, but the massive Galataport redevelopment project currently under...

Pierre Loti Café

Istanbul

　　Many visitors head to this hilltop cafe after visiting the Eyüp Sultan Mosque. Named for the famous French novelist who is said to have come here for inspiration, it offers views across the Golden Horn and is a popular weekend destination for locals, who relax here over cheap tea, coffee...

Pera Museum

Istanbul

　　There's plenty to see at this impressive museum, but its major draw is undoubtedly the 2nd-floor exhibition of paintings featuring Turkish Orientalist themes. Drawn from Suna and İnan Kıraç's world-class private collection, the works provide fascinating glimpses into the Ottoman world from the 17th to 20th centuries and include the...

Grand Bazaar

Istanbul

　　The colourful and chaotic Grand Bazaar is the heart of İstanbul's Old City and has been so for centuries. Starting as a small vaulted bedesten (warehouse) built by order of Mehmet the Conqueror in 1461, it grew to cover a vast area as lanes between the bedesten, neighbouring shops and...

Blue Mosque

Istanbul

　　İstanbul's most photogenic building was the grand project of Sultan Ahmet I (r 1603–17), whose tomb is located on the north side of the site facing Sultanahmet Park. The mosque's wonderfully curvaceous exterior features a cascade of domes and six slender minarets. Blue İznik tiles adorn the interior and give...

Basilica Cistern

Istanbul

　　This subterranean structure was commissioned by Emperor Justinian and built in 532. The largest surviving Byzantine cistern in İstanbul, it was constructed using 336 columns, many of which were salvaged from ruined temples and feature fine carved capitals. Its symmetry and sheer grandeur of conception are quite breathtaking, and its...

Süleymaniye Mosque

Istanbul

　　The Süleymaniye crowns one of İstanbul's seven hills and dominates the Golden Horn, providing a landmark for the entire city. Though it's not the largest of the Ottoman mosques, it is certainly one of the grandest and most beautiful. It's also unusual in that many of its original külliye (mosque...

Kariye Mosque

Istanbul

　　İstanbul has more than its fair share of Byzantine monuments, but few are as drop-dead gorgeous as this mosaic- and fresco-laden mosque. Nestled in the shadow of Theodosius II's monumental land walls, it receives a fraction of the visitor numbers that the famous Aya Sofya attracts but offers equally fascinating...

Topkapı Palace

Istanbul

　　Topkapı is the subject of more colourful stories than most of the world's museums put together. Libidinous sultans, ambitious courtiers, beautiful concubines and scheming eunuchs lived and worked here between the 15th and 19th centuries when it was the court of the Ottoman empire. A visit to the palace's opulent...

Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque

Istanbul

　　The Aya Sofya (officially the Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi, or the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque) is one of the Byzantine Empire’s surviving architectural marvels. Right in the heart of İstanbul’s historic center, this sacred building remains – even today – an important symbol of power. 　　Commissioned by Emperor Justinian, consecrated...