Topkapı Palace constructed by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, (the Conqueror) in 1478 has been the official residence of the Otoman Sultans and center of State Administration around 380 years until the construction of Dolmabahçe Palace by Sultan Abdülmecid. The palace having around 700.000 m.² area during the foundation years has currently 80.000 m.² area.

Hagia Sophia is considered a unique monument in world architecture, and its magnificence and functionality has been a good example in construction of countless Ottoman mosques. Hagia Sophia with its exceptional history constitutes a synthesis between east and west. This monument is one of the wonders of the world that has remained intact until the present day. One can find many attractions in Hagia Sophia interesting forms of Byzantine architecture, mosaics of the Christian period as well as structures added during the Ottoman era.

17. yüzyıl mimarisini yansıtan, İstanbul’un en büyük ve süslü camilerinden biridir. Aynı zamanda mavi çinileri ve 6 minaresi ile de ünlüdür.
Türk ve İslam dünyasının en ünlü anıtlarından birisi olan Sultan Ahmet Camii İstanbul’a gelen herkes tarafından hayranlıkla ziyaret edilir. Klasik Türk Sanatının bir diğer örneği olan bu Sultan Camii orijinal olarak 6 minare ile inşa edilen tek camidir. Bulunduğu yer tarihi İstanbul şehrinin daha erken yapılmış diğer önemli eserleri ile çevrilidir. İstanbul şehrinin en güzel manzarası denizden görülür. Bu şahane manzarada caminin silueti yer alır. Şöhreti “Mavi Camii” olarak bilinen eserin asıl adı I. Sultan Ahmet Camiidir. Esas mesleğine yakışır şekilde, Mimar Mehmet Ağa Cami içerisini kuyumcu titizliği ile dekore etmiştir.

One of the magnificent historical constructions of Istanbul is the Basilica Cistern, located near south-west of Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia). This huge cistern, which was founded by Justinianus I, a Byzantine Empire (527-565), began to be called by the public ‘the Sinking Palace’ – and not without a reason, seeing the great number of marble columns arising out of the water.

The oldest and largest covered bazaar in the world is situated in the heart of the city. One cannot appreciate this market without visiting it. It resembles a giant labyrinth with approximately sixty lanes and more than three thousand shops.

Kariye is located at Edirnekapı section of İstanbul. The dictionary meaning of Kariye (Chora) is "outside of the city", or "rural" in old Greek.   Chora mosaics and frescoes are the most beautiful examples of the last period of Byzantine art (the 14th century). They show a striking similarity. The monotonous background of the former period cannot be seen here. The concept of depth, recognition of the placticity and movement of the figures and the elongation in the figures are the characteristic of this style.

The Directorate of Istanbul Archaeology Museums that is dependent on the General Directorate of Monuments and Museums of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Turkey is on the Osman Hamdi Bey Ascent that opens to the Topkapı Palace Museum from the right of the Gülhane Park Entry which is in the Sultanahmet district.

Located just behind the Yeni Mosque in Eminönü, the Spice Bazaar was built in 1660 by the architect Kazım Ağa at the behest of Sultan Turhan. It gains its Turkish name, Mısır Çarşısı (Egyptian Bazaar), from the fact that it once received income from taxes levied on Egypt. The English name hails from the days when the Bazaar specialized in the sale of herbs and spices, medicinal plants, and drugs. While the color and aroma pervading the covered hallway may since have faded to some extent, a small number of shops do still stock the traditional products. In addition, you will find sacks and shelves groaning with dried fruits and nuts, teas and infusions, oils and essences, sweetmeats, honeycombs and aphrodisiacs.

This horn-shaped estuary, divides European Istanbul. One of the best natural harbors in the world, the Byzantine and Ottoman navies and commercial shipping interests were centered here. Today, lovely parks and promenades line the shores where the setting sun dyes the water a golden color. In Fener and Balat, neighbourhoods midway up the Golden Horn, whole streets of old wooden houses, churches, and synagogues date from Byzantine and Ottoman times.

Located along the coast of the Bosphorus in Beşiktaş, 300 yards from the Beşiktaş ferry-boat quay, this palace is the grandest imperial Ottoman residence. It was constructed by the Armenian architects Karabet and Nikogos Balyan for Sultan Abdülmecid (1839-61) who, preferring a more modern residence, decided to move out of the Topkapi Palace. The construction of this sumptuous palace was finished in 1853, and the royal family abandoned the imperial residence of Topkapi which had served as a home for the Ottoman household for almost four centuries.

Built on the site of an older tower in the 14th-15th centuries, the Galata Tower offers the best view of the Golden Horn, Old Istanbul, the entrance to the Bosphorus and the Asian shore.