Book Olympic Air Flights to Istanbul

Sightseeing in Istanbul

Hagia Sophia. The Church of the Holy Wisdom, the centre of religious life in the Byzantine Empire, symbol of Byzantium and Christian Orthodoxy, is today a museum. It is the most important and the grandest of the monuments of the Justinian period and is considered worldwide an architectural masterpiece. The dome of the church, brilliantly designed by Anthemius and Isidore, appears suspended in the air!

The Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque). This mosque is located opposite Hagia Sophia and was built by Mehmed Aga as the architectural rival of the former. In the mosque with the six minarets you must wear a headscarf if you are a woman and carry your shoes in your hands in order to enter. The Imam’s call to prayer (adhan) from a microphone is particularly impressive, as it tears through the city air.

Topkapi Palace. Built by Mehmed the Conqueror after the Fall of Constantinople, the palace complex covers an area of 700,000 square metres. Until 1853 it was the official residence of the Sultan. It was subsequently abandoned and the seat of government moved to Dolmabahçe Palace. At Topkapi you can admire the treasures of the Sultans and see the rooms where they lived and had their harems. In the forecourt of the palace, directly behind Hagia Sophia, is the Byzantine church of Hagia Irene, with fantastic acoustics and where concerts are today held.
Address: Topkapi Sarayi, Bab-i Humayun Caddesi, Sultanahmet).

Dolmabahçe Palace. This majestic palace with 250 rooms dominates the bank of the Bosporus and is maintained in an excellent condition. It was built between 1843 and 1856 as the residence of the last Ottoman Sultans and occupies an area of 45,000 metres squared. Paintings, invaluable furniture, crystal chandeliers and heavy carpets give the palace a Viennese feel, a sense that they were emulating the life of luxury in the West of that time.
Address: Dolmabahce Besiktas Ιstanbul, www.dolmabahce.gov.tr)

The Ecumenical Patriarchate. This is the primary ecclesiastical centre of the Orthodox Church. Its central door has remained closed from the time that Patriarch Gregory V was hanged.

Galata Tower. From the Tower you can see the whole of the town from high above. Right at the very top there is a café and restaurant where the main tourist attraction in the evening is the belly dance.

The aqueduct of Justinian (Royal Cistern). One of the most important public works carried out by Justinian and an exceptional example of Byzantine engineering. The light playing with the 336 columns of the colonnades and the classical music create a special atmosphere.
Address: Yerebatan Caddesi 13).

The hookah cafés in the district of Tophane. Since smoking indoors in public places was banned, smoking is now done outside, next to outdoor heaters.

Things to do in Istanbul

Take a cruise on the Bosporus. As you will be in the middle of the sea, you will immediately see the huge differences between the bustling west side and the much more relaxed east side of Turkey. The villas that almost touch onto the water on the east side are particularly impressive.

Have dinner or go for a coffee on the Bosporus bridge. As evening approaches the sky turns an orange colour and is decorated with the impressive minarets and hundreds of seagulls that fly above the sea, making you feel as though you are gazing at a scene from a painting.

Most definitely a visit to the baths! This is something that you will remember for a long time. If you go to Istanbul, you must experience the hammams, or Turkish baths, otherwise it’s like going to Paris without visiting the Eiffel Tower. The procedure: wearing your swimsuit, you are guided into the main area of the hammam. Here, you lie down or sit on a marble bench in the steam room. After around 20-30 minutes, an attendant leads you to an area with a marble table. Here you are given a massage and washed down. The masseurs scrub the visitors’ bodies with a keçe (hard felt cloth), for a deep exfoliation. They then soap you and afterwards pour, in succession, cold then hot water over you. Once this is all done, you will be wrapped in clean, warm linen towels and led to the relaxation room until you stop sweating. One thing is certain: after this experience you feel like a new person. The cost per person ranges from 18 to 80 euros, according to the fame of the hammam and the services offered.

Walk as far as Ortaköy Square. Known for its cement waterfront and beautiful mosque, which appears to jut out into the sea. In the narrow lanes behind the waterfront you can find canteens selling the local delicacy, the “kumpir”: a baked potato that is sliced down the middle and filled with whatever you desire: butter, cheese, peppers, sweetcorn, etc.

Excursions near Istanbul

You must take a cruise to the Princes’ Islands. Aside from Prinkepos (Büyükada in Turkish), where Greeks still live, it is also worth visiting Halki and its theology school. Cars are not permitted on the islands, only picturesque carts in which you can take a tour of each island.

Food and Entertainment in Istanbul

Before you leave Istanbul, make sure you have tried a kebab and the traditional, local baklavas and syrupy deserts and remember to stuff a few bottles of raki spirit into your suitcase. It is called raki, but it is really just a variation on ouzo.

In the summer months, aside from the shops along the waterfront in the district of Bebek, near the bridge that hangs over the Bosporus and connects European and Asian Turkey over a length of 1.5 km, the city’s nightlife aims high, on the rooftops of the city's buildings.

Shopping

As for shopping, however much money you bring with you to Istanbul you can definitely spend it!

Istiklal, with its dozens of shops selling goods at prices similar to those in the capitals in the rest of Europe. However, in some small local shops you can find clothes and shoes made in Turkey at very reasonable prices.

In the Egyptian spice market (Misir Çarşisi) in the district of Eminönü, you can find tourist goods and some amazing spices, perfumes and every kind of dried fruit. Take a trip to the city’s closed market, the Grand Bazaar covering 20,000 square metres. Here you can find anything from gold and silver jewellery and bags, shoes and accessories, to leather goods, antiques, and even carpets. Be careful! Don’t buy anything without first haggling over its price!

If you like malls, Istanbul has one of the largest malls in the world at the Istanbul Cevahir, which is located in the district of Şişli (Address: Buyukdere Cad 22.

Getting from the airport to Istanbul

One you arrive in Istanbul Airport, there are eight car rental agencies (and many local ones) that can rent you whichever type of vehicle you desire.

You can also reach the city by taxi or bus. Every day, 150 buses connect the new airport with the European and Asian sides of the city. There are ticket machines in the arrivals area from which you can purchase your tickets.

A taxi to Istanbul will cost around 32 euros, a reasonable fare considering that the distance between the new airport and the city centre is almost 50 km.