Istanbul, formerly known as Byzanthium and Constantinople, is a transcontinental city in Turkey with one part being in Europe and the other one in Asia. The city is divided by the Bosphorus strait, which separates Europe from Asia and which makes Istanbul a bridge between East and West.

Istanbul is becoming more and more popular since it has been gaining a lot of popularity on Social Media in the past months. It’s ideal to visit this city if you’re planning on visiting several regions of this beautiful country.

1. HAGIA SOPHIA, ISTANBUL

One of the top thing to do in Istabul is visiting the Hagia Sophia. The current Hagia Sophia was used as a church for the first 916 years and as a mosque for 481 years. It wasn’t until 1934 that the Hagia Sophia was turned into a museum. These days the Hagia Sophie Museum is the most visited museum in Turkey with a whopping 3.5 million visitors in 2019.
The Hagia Sophia was originally built in 360 AD and is one of the oldest, still intact building in the entire world. Over time it’s been rebuilt a couple of times and its current state is over 1482 years old and even survived several earthquakes!

2. BLUE MOSQUE, ISTANBUL

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, is the oldest mosque in Istanbul and you can find it right across from the Hagia Sophia.
Its nickname seems kind of strange when you’re on the outside, but once you step inside of the mosque it will become all the more clear. More than 20,000 handmade ceramic Iznik tiles decorate the interior, different floral motives and the mosque gets its light through more than 260 stained glass windows.

3. GRAND BAZAAR, ISTANBUL

The Grand Bazaar is one of the most iconic places to visit in Istanbul and one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the entire world. With a total area of over 30.000 square meter it houses more than 4000 shops and attracts more than 250.000 daily visitors!

Important to know when you enter the Grand Bazaar is that these men are here to sell and they will try their very best! The smartest way to go about is to smile politely and say that you’re not interested and simply keep on walking. If you are interested in buying something know that haggling is key!

4. ORTAKOY MOSQUE, ISTANBUL

The Ortakoy Mosque, also known as the Büyük Mecidiye Mosque, is one of the most beautiful mosques to visit during this Istanbul itinerary and you can find it in front of the Bosphorus bridge.
The Ortakoy Mosque is designed by the same architect who created the Domabahce Palace and while you’re here you should definitely check out the surrounding area. It used to be a rather sleepy fishing village but now it holds some of Istanbul’s best nightlife and dining options.

5. DOLMABAHCE PALACE, ISTANBUL

The Dolmabahce Palace was Istanbul’s first European style palace and was commissioned by Sultan Abdül Mecit in 1843. After the project was finished the sultan decided to move from his original humble abode, the Topkapi Palace to the Dolmabahce Palace since the latter was able to also provide modern luxuries.

The Dolmabahce Palce is one of the top things to see in Istanbul and the tourist entrance to the Dolmabahce Palace is at the imperial gate and be prepared to be there early morning. Only 3000 people per day are allowed inside and on weekends and during holidays this number is almost always reached.
During your visit head to the Palace Gardens first (go right instead of entering the Palace). You can’t take photos inside the palace anyway so the best thing to do is start by visiting the Palace Gardens before they get overcrowded with tourists.

6. GALATA TOWER, ISTANBUL

The Galata Tower is one of the oldest and highest towers in Istanbul and it was built on a hill in the Beyoglu district, overlooking the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus.
But to be fair i’s purpose was a little more serious back in the day. With its 61 meter above sea level it was used for surveillance over the harbour and later on to detect fires in the city.
The Galata Tower is one of the most touristic places in Istanbul and the best time to visit to avoid long cues is early in the morning when it opens. It’s definitely a must cause seeing Istanbul from the top of the Galata Tower is really impressive. You’ll be treated with a view over the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn, the Asian side, the main landmarks in Sultanahmet, as well as the highrises from the business district.
There’s also a restaurant on top of the Galata Tower but this is pretty much a tourist trap and way overpriced.