Things To Do in Istanbul

Discover The Church Of The Divine Whisdom(Hagia Sophia)

Built by order of Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, it has a soaring dome, huge nave and glittering gold mosaics that contribute to its reputation as one of the world’s most beautiful buildings. What’s more, its fascinating history as church, mosque and museum make it the city’s most revealing time capsule. Looted by marauding Crusaders in the 13th century, stormed by Ottoman invaders during the Conquest in 1453 and visited by millions of tourists after being converted into a museum in 1935, it is one of Turkey’s and the world’s – greatest treasures.

Admire The Blue Tiles Of Sultanahmet Mosque ( Blue Mosque )

Officially named the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, after the early 17th-century Ottoman ruler Ahmed I, the Blue Mosque gets its better-known moniker from the color of the tens of thousands of İznik tiles that adorn its interior. With its enormous courtyard, grand prayer hall and six minarets , this is a building made to impress – and to rival the Hagia Sophia, which sits directly opposite across a landscaped square.

Dive into The underground of Constantinople at the Basilica Cistern

Located opposite Hagia Sophia, the extraordinary subterranean basilica cistern features a wildly atmospheric forest of columns (336 pieces ), vaulted brick ceilings, carved Medusa-head capitals and ghostly patrols of carp. A testament to the ambitious town planning and engineering expertise of the Byzantines, the cistern has played a starring role in innumerable motion pictures (remember From Russia with Love - Inferno - Taken 2 ) and is now one of the city’s best-loved tourist attractions.