Dating from Roman times, the Old City's major boulevard is home to Ottoman mosques, cemeteries, medreses (seminaries) and türbes (tombs), as well as shops, eateries and atmospheric çay bahçesis (tea gardens).
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.55 MILES
Right in the heart of İstanbul’s historic center, this sacred Byzantine building remains an important symbol of power.
0.8 MILES
Topkapı is the subject of more colourful stories than most of the world's museums put together. Libidinous sultans, ambitious courtiers, beautiful…
2.21 MILES
İstanbul has more than its fair share of Byzantine monuments, but few are as drop-dead gorgeous as this mosaic- and fresco-laden church. Nestled in the…
0.58 MILES
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…
0.48 MILES
This subterranean structure was commissioned by Emperor Justinian and built in 532. The largest surviving Byzantine cistern in İstanbul, it was…
0.47 MILES
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…
0.15 MILES
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)…
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1.66 MILES
There's plenty to see at this impressive museum, but its major draw is undoubtedly the 2nd-floor exhibition of paintings featuring Turkish Orientalist…
Nearby Istanbul attractions
0.12 MILES
Erected by order of the Emperor Constantine to celebrate the dedication of New Rome (Constantinople) as capital of the Roman Empire in 330, this column is…
0.13 MILES
One of the many hans (caravanserais) in the Bazaar District, this huge structure was built between 1659 and 1660 by the Köprülüs, a distinguished Ottoman…
0.13 MILES
Facing one of the major gateways into the Grand Bazaar, this large mosque complex was built in Ottoman baroque style between 1748 and 1755. Construction…
0.15 MILES
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)…
0.2 MILES
When an unremarkable 1950s municipal building on this site was demolished in 2010, the construction crew made an exciting subterranean discovery: a…
0.22 MILES
Occupying the former imaret (soup kitchen) and kervansaray (caravanserai) of the Beyazıt Mosque's külliye, this library has recently been the subject of a…
0.23 MILES
The second imperial mosque built in İstanbul (after the Fatih Camii), Beyazıt Camii was constructed between 1501 and 1506 by order of Beyazıt II, son of…
0.24 MILES
Functioning as a somewhat tawdry shopping centre since 1990, this Ottoman hamam has retained its form and many of its original features. One of the oldest…