Melissa Shales - Top 10 Istanbul

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First Published in paperback in 2007 by Dorling Kindersley Limited. ISBN: 9781405360906
Copyright 2007, 2011 Dorling Kindersley

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Highlights of Istanbul

Istanbul is one of the greatest cities the world has ever known. Inhabited for at least 5,000 years, it was capital of two of the worlds most powerful empires those of the Byzantines and the Ottomans and its every stone is steeped in history. The highlights are easy; you can cover the major attractions in the first couple of days. But after that, the choice can be overwhelming, especially as this ancient city is reinventing itself once more as a modern centre for nightlife, food and shopping. The only answer is to come back again and again. If you do, this endlessly fascinating city will certainly reward you.

Topkap Palace

A palace fit for a sultan, several wives, hundreds of concubines and thousands of retainers, the was not only a royal residence, but also the Ottoman Empires centre of government.

Topkap Palace

Haghia Sophia

One of the greatest icons of the Christian church, has stood for 1,500 years a miraculous feat of design and engineering that has survived fire, war and earthquake, and outlived two great empires.

Haghia Sophia

Blue Mosque

Sultan Ahmet Is great mosque is one of the worlds most famous religious buildings blue on account of the delicately patterned znik tiles which adorn the interior (see ).

Blue Mosque

Archaeological Museum

Turkeys world-class national collection, which remarkably was begun only in the mid-19th century, contains ancient treasures from across the length and breadth of the Ottoman Empire and beyond, including artifacts from Babylon, Syria, Egypt, Greece, Rome and Persia (see ).

Archaeological Museum

Grand Bazaar

More mall than market since its last restoration, the remains a true Turkish delight, a shopaholics colourful fantasy that is also a photographers dream. Whether you are after a Hereke carpet or a pair of silk slippers, you will be satisfied here in the bazaar at the western end of the Silk Road.

Grand Bazaar

Sleymaniye Mosque

Sultan Sleyman I, the Ottomans greatest emperor, and Sinan, the empires most talented architect, created more than 400 buildings together. This imposing mosque is their masterwork (see ).

Sleymaniye Mosque

Church of St Saviour in Chora

With more than 100 profoundly beautiful early-14th-century mosaics and frescoes of biblical scenes, this church is one of the greatest of Istanbuls many Byzantine treasures (see ).

Church of St Saviour in Chora

emberlita Baths

The perfect way to recuperate from an overdose of sightseeing is to steam gently beneath the marble domes of a traditional Turkish bath before allowing an attendant to massage those aching feet. The experience is cleansing, cultural and reviving (see ).

emberlita Baths

Dolmabahe Palace

This 19th-century Occidental fantasy was a key component in the downfall of the Ottoman Empire. Sultan Abdl Mecits decision to build a lavishly opulent European-style palace almost bankrupted the Treasury, and in the end could be financed only by foreign loans (see ).