One day in Istanbul. if you have limited time in istanbul, and want to cover as much ground and see as many of the sights as possible, we can help you by making some great suggestions.
lstanbul is a big city – far too big to fit everything into one day. However, to make things easier for you, we can provide you with an ‘easy to navigate’ road-map, which will ensure you cover as much ground as possible in the limited time you have, and get to see the most important and famous places in our amazing city. All of these places are located on the historic peninsula, and are listed below.
Note: Because your time is limited, you do not want to be weighed down with luggage and belongings. However, we have a solution. lstanbul Luggage-Storage will safely and securely store your luggage while you are out and about exploring.
The famous and important places list
- Hagia Sofia
- The Blue Mosque
- The Basilica Cistern
- Topkapi Palace
- Grand Bazaar
- Spice Bazaar
1:) Hagia Sophia Mosque, Fatih
The structure was originally built by the Eastern Roman Emperor Constantius in 360 AD, and at this time was known as Megale Ekklesia. However over the centuries, the building has become what we now see today, with the work having been done by Anthemios of Tralles and lsidoros of Miletos. During the period Hagia Sophia was built, construction was completed in a very short time, and it took only five years and 10 months to build, making it the fastest-completed cathedral in the world at that time.
When it was originally built as a cathedral in the 5th century, it was named Hagia Sophia. However, after the conquest of Constantinople, it was turned into a mosque, which required the addition of minarets. These minarets were designed and built by the famous architect ‘Mimar Sinan’, who was also responsible for much of the beautiful architecture seen throughout lstanbul and Turkey today.
ln 2020 the Hagia Sophia was again re-opened for worship, and is no longer a museum. lt is open to the public every day of the week except Mondays, and welcomes visitors between the hours of 9.00 – 19.00 in the summer season, and 9.00 – 17.00 during the winter months
2:) The Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque) Fatih
Located directly across from Hagia Sophia – in the area known as Sultanahmet Square or Medan – on lstanbul’s historic peninsula, is the Blue Mosque, which is one of the first places both locals and foreign tourists start their visit in lstanbul. lf a tourist asks where the Blue Mosque is in Sultanahmet, rather than Sultanahmet Mosque, do not be surprised, as it is better known as the Blue Mosque by tourists due to the azure colour of its twenty-one thousand lznik tiles decorating it’s interior.
The Blue Mosque was built in the 17th century by Sedefkar Mehmet Ağa, one of Mimar Sinan’s students. The mosque has a total of 16 balconies, as it was built in the name of Sultan Ahmet 1, the 16th ruler of the Ottoman Empire, and its dome is 43 metres high. When its 16 balconies, domes and complexes come together, the Blue Mosque is recognised as one of the largest structures in lstanbul.
The mosque is open every day for visitors to worship, and because of this you will be allowed inside whenever you choose to visit. However, on Fridays and religious holidays, huge crowds flock to the mosque to pray, so please keep this in mind.
3:) Basilica Cistern, Fatih
The Basilica Cistern is a structure from the Byzantine Empire, and still exists today.
The building was built by Emperor Justinian in 532 AD, and supplied all the water for the region. In the past, the Stoa Basilica was located on top of the cistern, and for this reason it became known as the Basilica Cistern. It was also known as the Basilica Palace, because of the elaborate columns standing in the water.
One of the outstanding features you will see in the Basilica Cistern, is the Medusa Head statue, the mystery of which is still unsolved. It is not known how this statue came to be in this cistern, but it is considered among the most important works of the Roman Period.
The Basicila Cistern was recently closed for extensive restoration work, but re-opened again in 2022. Today there is the added advantage of spectacular light-shows, and cultural events and concerts by many local and foreign artists are regularly held in the cistern because of the outstanding acoustics and general atmosphere. Not only is visiting the Basilica Cistern a different experience in itself, but you will surely be enchanted by the atmosphere these cultural events and concerts give to the Basilica Cistern.
4:) Topkapı Palace-istanbul
Topkapi Palace is one of the most important structures from the Ottoman period. The palace, which was built after the conquest of Istanbul in 1453, has been the administrative center for about 400 years. The palace, which was the residence of the Ottoman sultans during the years, was called Saray-ı Cedid by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, and I. Mahmut named the palace as Topkapi Palace.
Topkapı Palace was turned into a museum on April 3, 1924 by the order of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and became the first museum of the Republic of Turkey. With an archive of 300,000 documents inside the palace, it is one of the largest palace museums worldwide. Areas such as the Harem Section, the Cardigan-i Felicity Department, the Private Room, and the Pavilion Garden are among the must-see sections of the palace. The portraits, clothes and weapons of the sultans living in the palace are also exhibited in the section of the palace called the Istanbul Library.
Except for Tuesdays, the palace welcomes its visitors between 10.00 and 17.30 on weekdays and between 10.30 and 17.30 on weekends. He encourages going early to visit each room of the palace. Exploring the whole palace will be quite difficult if you go close to closing time. You can make a trip here by allocating at least half a week.
5:) Grand Bazaar, Fatih
The Grand Bazaar – locally known as the ‘Kapali Çarsi’ (closed bazaar) – is the oldest shopping center in the world. For this reason alone, it is an absolute ‘must’ to have on your list of places to visit in Istanbul.
During the reign of Mehmet the Conqueror, such an area was built in order to increase the income of the Ottoman Empire. However over the years, its area and scope have expanded enormously, and the Grand Bazaar has now become known as the commercial center of the region. Covering an area of 45,000 square meters, the Grand Bazaar is also among the largest shopping centers in the world, so much so that Evliya Çelebi talks about the Grand Bazaar in his Travel Book.
Even if you don’t need to shop at the Grand Bazaar, you should at least pay it a visit. Wandering through the Bazaar and seeing the carpet and rug sellers, the fabric-makers, leather shops, and variety of jewellery on offer – not to mention the spice shops with their tantalising fragrances – will give you the greatest of pleasures.
6:) Spice Bazaar, Eminonu
Since it is located in Eminönü, which is one of the most touristic and lively spots of Istanbul, all kinds of roads lead here. Even those living in Istanbul go to this bazaar regularly to shop.
Sultan IV. Built in the 17th century with the support of Murat’s mother, this bazaar served as the commercial center of the Ottoman Empire for many years. When it first opened, it was also known as the New Bazaar because it was part of the Valide Bazaar and the New Mosque. However, when spices and teas from Egypt began to be sold here, it became known as the Egyptian Bazaar or the Spice Market.
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