The Blue Mosque
This early 17th-century Mosque is one of only a handful of mosques in the world to boast six minarets. Named also Sultan Ahmed Mosque (after Sultan Ahmed I, 1590 - 1617 A.D.). The mosque is known as the Blue Mosque because of blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design. The Mosque was built between the years 1609 and 1616 A.D. Like many other mosques, it comprises the tomb of the founder, a madrasa (school) and a hospice. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque has become a popular tourist attraction in Istanbul.
Besides being a tourist attraction, it's also an active mosque. Hence, it's closed to non worshippers for a half hour 5 times a day during the five daily prayers.
The best way to see the great architecture of the Blue Mosque is to approach it from the Hippodrome (West side of the mosque).
[flickr-photo:id=9055007023]
Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum
The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts cvontains turkish and Islamic Arts all together and is known as the last museum to open in the Otoman Period. The foundation of the museum was commissioned as a result of continuous steal of artworks from various trust bulidings, mosques, masjids, takas and sbrines from all over the country. Studies under a commission chaired by the director of Imperial Museum Mr. Osman Hamdi was completed in 1913 and the Museum was opened originally to public as "The Museum of Muslim Endowments" (Evkaf-ı İslâmiye Müzesi) in imaret building within the complex of Süleymaniye Mosque, one of the masterworks of Mimar Sinan, the Chief Architect.
[flickr-photo:id=8124341583]
Topkapi Palace
If there is one absolute must-see in Istanbul, it has to be the Topkapi Palace, home to generations of sultans and their wives, who were closeted in the famous harem. A collection of lush green courtyards and delicate kiosks, the Topkapi boasts a treasury to put the crown jewels in the shade, as well as views to die for over the Sea of Marmara, Bosphorus and Golden Horn. The secretive harem – really just the family quarters – is a warren of lushly-tiled rooms wrapped round a gem of a Turkish bath. Try to visit on a day when no cruise ship is in town to avoid the worst of the crowds.
[flickr-photo:id=6228270264]
Aya Sofya
After decades in which scaffolding cluttered the interior of Emperor Justinian's sixth-century Byzantine masterpiece, the thrill of being able to experience the extraordinary spaciousness of this famous church-turned-mosque-turned museum is hard to overstate. Downstairs the building is largely empty; the best of the glittering mosaics lurk in the galleries upstairs. Newly opened are the tombs of several early Ottoman sultans and their slaughtered sons – before primogeniture new sultans immediately had all potential rivals killed. Before the end of the year, the city's finest carpets will go on display in the soup kitchen added after the church was turned into a mosque.
[flickr-photo:id=2239011600]
Süleymaniye Mosque
Designed by the great Ottoman architect Sinan for Suleiman the Magnificent. Newly restored to its original splendour. It is regarded as the finest of the 42 surviving mosques architect Sinan designed for Istanbul. Remarkably, much of the attached original complex of social service buildings is still preserved, including several madrasahs (educational institutions), a hospital, a library and a hamam (Turkish Bath). Locals come here to eat kuru fasuliye, the Turkish take on baked beans.
[flickr-photo:id=1806722536]
Dolmabahçe Palace
Dolmabahce Palace is one of the most fascinating palaces in the world. It was built in the 19th century. The construction of the palace was during the period in which westernization had entered a new phase when Sultan Abdulmecid came to the throne in 1839. The palace was built by Abdulmecid between 1850 and 1856 and was situated in an area of 110 thousand square meters.
As you wander the palace, you will feel the magnificence of the empire. And you will recognize that it consists of three main structures named Selâmlık, Muayede Saloon and Harem.
[flickr-photo:id=10348567764]
The Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar is in fact a separate world within Istanbul. It is an active, crowded, inviting, and indispensable part of Istanbul. This bazaar that attracts tourists from all over the world, and you can find not only glorious history but also antique dealers, jewelers, bag makers, leather shops, carpet sellers –in short, everything imaginable.
Being the oldest and largest historical bazaar in the world, the Grand Bazaar was built on Sultan Fatih’s order to provide income for the Hagia Sophia. This historical bazaar is located between Nuruosmaniye and Beyazıt Mosques, Cevahir and Sandal bedestens*. It has ever since been a center for shopping.
[flickr-photo:id=9179720064]