Istanbul Sights and Landmarks Guide, Turkey

It is not known to many that the city of Istanbul is nestled in a place where Europe meets Asia. Therefore, it is the testament to the best of both equally beautiful yet different worlds.

While in Istanbul, you get to choose between which side of the city you want to explore. If it is Europe that you choose, you will be taken to an adventure of different churches, mosques, towers and museums. If it is Asia that you choose, the old palaces, a number of islands and a tower are the more prominent fixtures. Truly, Istanbul is one experience of a lifetime that you can't miss, primarily because of its location.

On the Anatolian or the Asian side, the Beylerbeyi Palace - built between the years of 1861 to 1865 by Sultan Abdulaziz - is found right in the legs of the Bosphorus. Guided tours around this famous palace are available in major spoken languages. The Camlica Hill is the highest hill in Istanbul, home to various television antennas. On top of the hill, a park with restaurants has been built as reminder of the Ottoman Empire feel. The Prices Island just across the coast southeast of Istanbul consists of eight islands that provide the perfect venue to get away from the noise and crown of the city. It has villas where people can stay and enjoy swimming on its pristine waters. The Maiden's Tower or the Klz Kulesi (turkish) is found in the Uzkudar coast where one can drink tea in the afternoon or dine in one of the restaurants inside the tower. Guided tours telling about the famous maiden from whom the tower was named are also available.

On the European side, historical places are found almost everywhere. The Topkapi Palace is the imperial enclave of the powerful Ottoman Empire. That is why, all of the former empire can offer is found in its four courts of increasing grandeur. The Blue Mosque or the Sultan Ahmet Mosque is open to everybody. Although certain restrictions in the clothing must be followed, entrance to this amazing work of architecture is free. The topmost floor of the Galata tower offers a breathtaking view of the whole city that is just an elevator ride away. Finally, the Hagia Sophia, a masterwork of Roman engineering, was a basilica built by Justinian I. At some point, it was converted into a mosque and now, it is a museum that still depicts the amazing 30-meter dome that was for over 1000 years the largest enclosed space in the world.

There are still numerous choices to visit in Istanbul apart from those listed. With that you have much to do. Who could ever go wrong in Istanbul?

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• Byzantine Hippodrome
  travel tip by kachou_n posted more then 30 days ago
  Originally the home of sports games in the Byzantine period, the Hippodrome has been later converted into a park. It is open to the public all day long and is quite close to other major attractions such as the Ayasofya, the Blue Mosque...
• One Nation Travel Turkey
  travel tip by zangazanga posted more then 30 days ago
  We thought that for the first time it would be great not to organize our trips in a foreign city ourselves, so we booked in advance for a 6-Day Istanbul Package with One Nation Travel Turkey agency. We were picked from the airport on...
• Basilica Cistern
  travel tip by luci posted more then 30 days ago
  Just across the street from the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern is a mysterious underground place that you shouldn't miss. There are very many columns lighted from under with reddish lamps, giving the whole place a bit of Gothic...

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