Istanbul Attractions
39 places · narrow by district and visit style
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Blue Mosque
An early 17th-century imperial mosque famous for its Iznik tile interior. It's still an active place of worship, so visits are scheduled around prayer times.
Kadıköy Fish Market
A lively, working fish market where locals shop for the day's catch. The surrounding streets are packed with meyhanes, produce stalls, and specialty food shops.
Ortaköy Mosque
A beautiful 19th-century mosque right on the Bosphorus waterfront in Ortaköy. It's famous for its elegant baroque style and the stunning view of the Bosphorus Bridge behind it.
Spice Bazaar
This is the city's main spice market, a covered arcade in Eminönü filled with stalls selling everything from saffron to lokum. It's smaller and more focused than the Grand Bazaar, with a strong scent of herbs and tea in the air.
Süleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye Mosque, designed by Mimar Sinan for Suleiman the Magnificent, is a masterpiece of Ottoman architecture. Its hilltop location offers one of the best views of the Golden Horn.
Galata Tower
A medieval Genoese watchtower that's now a museum and observation deck. It offers the classic postcard view of Istanbul's old city skyline.
Akaretler Row Houses
A restored 19th-century row of workers' houses built for Dolmabahçe Palace staff. Today, it's a quiet, upscale pedestrian street with high-end shops and cafes.
Atik Valide Mosque
Built for Nurbanu Sultan and designed by Mimar Sinan, this 16th-century imperial mosque crowns Üsküdar’s hilltop, completed in 1586 as part of a large külliye.
Bayezid II Mosque
Early 16th-century Ottoman imperial mosque on Beyazıt Square, beside the Grand Bazaar. A calm courtyard with old plane trees offers a break from the nearby market.
Bodrum Mosque
Bodrum Mosque, originally the 10th-century Myrelaion Church, sits south of Laleli. A Byzantine-era structure still used as an active mosque.
Çamlıca Mosque
Completed in 2019 on Çamlıca Hill in Üsküdar, this vast mosque holds 63,000 worshippers and offers sweeping Bosphorus views.
Çukurcuma Antique District
A valley neighborhood of Beyoğlu known for its antique shops lining 19th-century streets. It's a quiet, winding alternative to the main avenue.
Ecumenical Patriarchate
The spiritual center of the Eastern Orthodox Church, located in the historic Fener neighborhood. It's the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarch, considered 'first among equals' in Orthodox Christianity.
Eyüp Sultan Mosque
A 19th-century mosque built on a much older site, housing the tomb of Ebu Eyüp el-Ansari, companion of the Prophet Muhammad. A major pilgrimage spot, especially crowded on Fridays and holidays.
Fenari Isa Mosque
Two Byzantine churches joined into a single mosque in Fatih, still showing their age-old brickwork.
Khedive Palace
A former residence of Egypt's Khedive Abbas II, this Art Nouveau palace sits on a wooded hilltop above the Bosporus. Today it's a public grove with a café-restaurant inside.
Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque
A late-career masterpiece by Mimar Sinan, built in his 90s, with a serene courtyard near Galataport.
Laleli Mosque
18th-century Ottoman baroque mosque on Ordu Caddesi, a quiet imperial stop between Beyazıt and Aksaray.
Little Hagia Sophia
Originally a 6th-century Byzantine church dedicated to Saints Sergius and Bacchus, this building was later converted into a mosque. It's a quieter, smaller-scale architectural sibling to the grand Hagia Sophia.
Mihrimah Sultan Mosque (Edirnekapı)
A 16th-century Ottoman mosque by Mimar Sinan, sited on the city's highest hill near the Byzantine walls. Its light-filled interior makes it a striking landmark.
Mihrimah Sultan Mosque (Üsküdar)
This 16th-century Ottoman mosque by the Üsküdar ferry terminal is one of the district's best-known landmarks. It once stood right on the water's edge.
New Mosque (Yeni Cami)
An Ottoman imperial mosque on the Golden Horn, marking the passage from the historic peninsula to Beyoğlu. Completed in the 1660s, it reflects the power of the Sultanate of Women.
Nuruosmaniye Mosque
An 18th-century Ottoman mosque just outside the Grand Bazaar, on Turkey's tentative UNESCO list since 2016.
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
A Mimar Sinan-designed mosque tucked above the Spice Bazaar, famous for its incredible collection of Iznik tiles. It's a small, peaceful space that feels like a hidden treasure chest.
Şehzade Mosque
Sinan's first imperial commission, built as a memorial for Suleiman's son. A fine example of Classical Ottoman architecture, much quieter than Süleymaniye.
Şemsi Pasha Mosque
Sinan's compact mosque right on the Üsküdar shore, designed for Grand Vizier Şemsi Pasha. A quiet stop with a courtyard that opens directly to the Bosphorus.
Sinan Pasha Mosque
A Mimar Sinan-designed mosque built for the admiral Sinan Pasha in Beşiktaş. The tomb of the famous Ottoman admiral Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha is right across the street.
St. Anthony of Padua Church
The largest Catholic church in Istanbul, a red-brick neo-Gothic landmark on İstiklal Avenue. It's a quiet, beautiful space just steps from the busy street.
Turkish Calligraphy Art Museum
A quiet medrese museum steps from the Grand Bazaar, devoted to Ottoman calligraphy, Korans, and imperial tughras. Easy to miss and easy to like.
Yahya Efendi Complex
A peaceful Ottoman-era complex built for the scholar and Sufi sheikh Yahya Efendi. It's a quiet cemetery and shrine in the heart of Beşiktaş.
Yeni Valide Mosque
An 18th-century imperial mosque on Üsküdar’s waterfront, built by Gülnuş Sultan. The last of the grand mosques commissioned by royal Ottoman women in the district.
Zeyrek Mosque (Pantocrator Monastery)
Zeyrek Mosque combines two Byzantine churches and a chapel into one structure. It's the second-largest surviving Byzantine religious building in Istanbul after Hagia Sophia.
Beylerbeyi Palace
A 19th-century Ottoman summer palace on the Asian Bosphorus, mixing European Neo-Baroque architecture with traditional interiors. Now a museum.
Florya Atatürk Marine Mansion
A historic presidential retreat built over the Sea of Marmara, once used by Atatürk. Now a museum open to visitors.
Galata Mevlevihanesi Museum
A former dervish lodge turned museum, offering a quiet look at Mevlevi culture and history in the heart of Beyoğlu. The main hall and the small cemetery are the highlights.
Ihlamur Pavilion (Kasır)
A 19th-century imperial summer pavilion built for Sultan Abdülmecid I, designed by the Armenian architect Nigoğayos Balyan. It's a quiet escape with ornate rooms and a large garden.
Maiden's Tower
A Byzantine-era tower on a tiny islet at the southern mouth of the Bosphorus, 200 metres off Üsküdar. Less a monument than a weirdly isolated viewpoint.
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