Khorasani

Sultanahmet


Popular with tourists from the Gulf States, many of whom stay at the nearby Sura Hotel, this ocakbaşı (grill house) specialises in mezes and classic kebaps such as şiş (roast skewered meat), fıstıklı (minced lamb studded with pistachios) and the alinazik (eggplant purée with yoghurt and ground köfte).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Sultanahmet attractions

1. Milion

0.1 MILES

This was kilometre zero during the Byzantine Empire: the starting point of the Via Egnatia, the great road linking Constantinople with the Adriatic coast,…

2. Kaiser Wilhelm's Fountain

0.11 MILES

Near the northern end of the Hippodrome, this little gazebo with beautiful stonework was presented to the sultan and his people as a token of friendship…

3. Basilica Cistern

0.12 MILES

This subterranean structure was commissioned by Emperor Justinian and built in 532. The largest surviving Byzantine cistern in İstanbul, it was…

4. Museum of Turkish & Islamic Arts

0.15 MILES

This Ottoman palace was built in 1524 for İbrahim Paşa, childhood friend, brother-in-law and grand vizier of Süleyman the Magnificent. It now houses a…

5. Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I

0.16 MILES

The türbe (tomb) of Sultan Ahmet I, the Blue Mosque’s great patron, is on the north side of the mosque facing Sultanahmet Park. Ahmet, who had ascended to…

6. Hippodrome

0.16 MILES

The Byzantine emperors loved nothing more than an afternoon at the chariot races, and this rectangular arena alongside Sultanahmet Park was their venue of…

7. Caferağa Medresesi

0.18 MILES

This lovely little building tucked away in the shadow of Aya Sofya was designed by Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan on the orders of Cafer Ağa, Süleyman the…

8. Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque

0.19 MILES

Right in the heart of İstanbul’s historic center, this sacred Byzantine building remains an important symbol of power.