We spent three days in Istanbul and we were able to see loads in that time. We understand that sometimes people don’t have a lot of time, but that is all right because there are plenty of things you can do in this amazing city.
If you only have one day in Istanbul, the best bet is to tour the Sultanahmet area. This is “Old Istanbul” and where the two most renowned mosques are located. The good thing about this place is that everything is close, so you can easily walk from one attraction to the other.
Read on for a summary of some of the places to visit!
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Blue Mosque
This ancient mosque is actually called Sultan Ahmed Mosque, and receives its popular name due to the blue tiles in both the outside and the inside. It is an active mosque but it can still be visited for free outside of prayer times and presenting due respect.
Women need to cover their bodies, including the hair. There’s a small office at the entrance where they provide long skirts and scarfs. We went there in winter and even though I was wearing pants, they still made me wear the skirt as my jeans were too tight.
Once I was properly covered we walked into the main courtyard, where you can appreciate the architecture of the mosque.
After taking our shoes off and putting them in a plastic bag, we entered the main prayer hall, a huge area covered in carpet with no chairs or benches. This is where Muslims kneel for praying.
The hall can be observed from one of the sides, but visitors cannot walk around freely. From here you can check the magnificently decorated domes.
The visit is very short, it only takes around 15 minutes to see the interior. The exit is through a side door onto the park where you can get a nice view of the exterior.
Visitng Hours: 8.30 – 16:00 – except praying times.
Admission: free.
Hagia Sophia
Across from the park, opposite the Blue Mosque, another historical building can be found: Ayasofya (or Hagia Sophia). An architectural masterpiece, Hagia Sophia served as a Christian basilica, later an imperial mosque and now a museum.
From the outside it looks like a mosque, with a huge dome surrounded by smaller ones and flanked by two minarets.
The interior is a mixture of catholic and Islamic details: it resembles a church in many things, but at the same time has a lot of features that can only be found in mosques, like the minbar and the round calligraphic panes with Islamic names, which are said to be the biggest in the world.
Impressive mosaics depicting images of Christ, the Virgin Mary and other Catholic characters can be found throughout the temple.
Hagia Sophia is a museum and an admission fee is payable. Check their website for opening hours and fees here.
Visiting Hours: 09:00 – 18:00/19:00 (summer/winter)
Admission Fee: 40 TL
Grand Bazaar
Known as the oldest and largest market in the world, the Grand Bazaar is clearly on everyone’s list. It is amazing and worth the visit, but if you’re thinking of doing some shopping, this is not the place as goods tend to be overpriced.
It is nice to get lost in the maze of hallways where you can find from silk scarfs to Turkish lamps.
The Bazaar is open till late, so it is a good idea to go in the late afternoon, after all the other attractions are closed.
Visiting Hours: 08:30 – 19:00 (Closed Sundays and Public Holidays)
Admission: Free
Spice Bazaar
Not as big as the Grand Bazaar, this colourful and fragrant market is a nice place to stroll and marvel at the different types of spices and sweets. Located very close to the Eminonu pier, here you can get from tea to Turkish delights, all in one place.
It is also called Egyptian Bazaar.
Visiting Hours: 08:00 – 19:00 (aprox)
Admission: Free
Basilica Cistern
If you’ve seen the movie Inferno (or at least read Dan Brown’s novel), then this place will ring a bell. It is an ancient underground cistern that now serves as an event venue and tourist attraction.
It consists of an enormous subterranean chamber supported by rows of decorated columns. Some of these columns are very popular as they depict the head of Medusa. Paths have been built over the water so that tourists can stroll around.
We thought the place was alright but not necessarily life-changing. It takes probably 15 minutes to see it all, and that’s more than enough time to get the camera lens fogged due to the humidity!
Visiting Hours: 09:00 – 17:30
Admission: 20 TL
Topkapi Palace
Once the residence of Ottoman emperors, it is now a museum of major historic importance, holding a collection of State treasury that is very interesting.
The place is picturesque, although we thought that other palaces are a lot more beautiful. We don’t know if it was because it was being restored when we visited or the fact that we had been to Dolmabahce Palace in Besiktas before, but we found it just another place to tick off a list of attractions.
We understand that it is a historical place and we found some of the relics from the Ottoman Empire quite enlightening. We also liked the outer courtyard and the views of the Bosphorus.
Visiting Hours: 09:00 – 16:00/18:00 (summer/winter)
Admission: 40 TL (entrance to Harem sold separately)
Walking Around
Besides all these typical tourist attractions, Sultanahmed is also beautiful to just walk around. Stroll through the small streets and find restaurants, colourful houses, markets and more. Go to the Eminonu pier to watch the ferries and the fishermen on the Galata Bridge trying to catch something in the Bosphorus. Or grab a bite from one of the many street karts and just sit on a bench to watch people come and go.
So all these places give you a full day of tourist attractions. Have you been to Istanbul? What else would you recommend?