Traveling to Istanbul

Istanbul, the greatest city in Turkey is one of the most beautiful cities to visit. It is home to a number of fascinating sites and activities that will entertain you for a lifetime. You can start your trip to Istanbul with a visit to one of its most popular landmarks - the Blue Mosque. The minaret was built in the tenth century and still serves as a mosque to this day. The best time to visit Istanbul is from October to March during the dry summers.

Old City In addition to being home to the Blue Mosque, Istanbul boasts a large number of other historical sites such as the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia and the Topkapi Palace. For an old city feel, beyo yourself to the Taurus Park and the Beyo Gemelu Beside the Beyo palace, all within walking distance of each other. If you are looking for souvenirs to take back home, you may want to visit the Taurus Museum which offers a large collection of ancient Roman and Greek artifacts, including statues, busts and pottery.

Beyo Gemelu Beside the Beyo palace, there is the Taurus Park which is a great place to take a picnic or just to walk around. Another top attraction in Istanbul is the Topkap Palace, once home to the last Sultan of Turkey and the current sultan of Istanbul. The Topkap Palace is Istanbul's most famous monument and it has four gardens, featuring a fountain called the Rose Fountain.

Beyo Sultan's Tomb A small park off of the main Istanbul boulevards is the Beyo Sultan tomb; it's where the late sultan got buried when he was killed in WWI. It was built in remembrance of the sultan's life and also as a testament to his rule over Istanbul. Just past the tomb is the Blue Mosque, the oldest mosque in Istanbul, built by the Fatih bin Nasser in 1930. It houses the Akcazar Murtabekgazi Mosque, built in the memory of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Hagia Sophia The Hagia Sophia is one of the largest mosques in the world, housing two schools and a hospital. It is a jewel in the crown of Istanbul, being built ininth the century old rose window. Inside the old church is the world's largest mosaic - a depiction of the Vitruvius and Acropolis, overlooking the city of Istanbul. It looks out across the river Gokova on the Asian side of Istanbul and is situated on the Golden Square, on top of the Banner. The museum itself houses the largest collection of Jewish relics outside of Israel.

Topkap Palace A few blocks from the Hagia Sophia is the Topkap Palace, considered to be one of the best examples of Islamic Architecture in the world. It is ruled by the Turkish Sultans and was originally built during the rule of Suleiman al-Sistani. The main palace interior consists of seven sections: the Generalife Architecture, which are built of red sandstone; the House of Firdausiye, the house of Bassoses, with its beautiful garden; the Akhtala, with its minaret and surrounding mosques; the Kinaliye, with its minaret and various gardens; the Yalcinar, with its minaret and palaces. A short train ride from Topkap Palace is the Heybeliada, with its Ottoman style homes.