Local Attractions

Taksim Square, the central transportation hub of Istanbul, is named after the Taksim (distribution point) constructed there in the late 1800s. Today it links the Kabataş funicular with the metro as well as many bus lines, and it leads to the bustling Istiklal street. 

Pedestrianised İstiklal Street (Independence Street) is a bustling modern shopping street with a wealth of restaurants and cafés. The lower end of the street can be reached by taking the world's oldest underground railway from near Galata Bridge - the Tünel, constructed in 1875. 

The building was erected in 1880 and it is considered the largest Greek Orthodox shrine in Istanbul nowadays. It is still in use by the Greek Community. The church is located in Beyoğlu district, near the Taksim Square. The property where the Church stands used to be the site of a Greek Orthodox cemetery and hospital.

The mosque which is on Istiklal Street was built in 1596 by Huseyin Agha who was one of the Galatasaray Aghas with one minaret on the right side. The first version was domed then it was converted to a Karger roof. 

In the city center, The Congress Valley is within a walking distance of wide choices of hotels. The Congress Valley features ‘Istanbul Congress Center’ and the ‘İstanbul Convention & Exhibition Centre’ both offering a wide range of meeting facilities. 

The structure was built for the first time as a Military College by the decree of Sultan II. Abdulhamid in 1862 to educate the officers for Ottoman Army. It was used for different purposes as a college and Military Headquarters, finally, it was decided to converted into a museum in 1964. 

Nişantaşı is a quarter of the Şişli district of Istanbul European Side, nearby the Taksim. It is considered to be one of the most exclusive neighborhoods of Istanbul with a popular shopping and residential district. 

It is the largest church of Roman Catholic Church in Istanbul which was located at the Istiklal Avenue. The church was first built in Galata in 1230 and rebuilt at the same place several times because of fires. 

Pera Museum is a private museum which was opened on 8th June 2005, offers an aim of an outstanding range of diverse high quality and art services. It has become one of the most qualified and advanced museums in Turkey which serves as a modern museum-cultural center in one of the liveliest quarters of Istanbul. 

The mosque was commissioned by Bezmi Alem Valide Sultan and completed by Ottoman Sultan Abdulmecid who is her son after she died. It was located at the seaside of Besiktas district and opened for prayer services in 1855.

The sumptuous and ornate Dolmabahce Palace shows the clear influence of European decoration and architecture on the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. Built by Sultan Abdul Mecid I in 1854, it replaced Topkapı Palace as the main residence of the sultans. 

Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Turkey’s first private museum to organize modern and contemporary art exhibitions, was founded in 2004 and has now moved to a temporary space in Beyoğlu, where it will welcome visitors from May 2018 onward for three years while its new building is being constructed. 

The mosque was located in the Tophane neighborhood and known as Tophane Mosque. It was built by the decree of Sultan Mahmut II and opened for prayer services in 1826. It retains a Baroque style while its architecture is influenced by Islamic elements, making it unique to the city. 

It is the most popular synagogue of Turkish Jews which is in Karaköy. It was opened on 25th March 1951 as the largest synagogue in Istanbul. Neve Shalom Synagogue which means “Oasis of Peace”, is the largest place of worship of the Turkish Jewish Community in Istanbul and hosts Jewish ceremonies such as Shabbat prayers, Bar Mitzvahs, Brit-Milah, wedding, and funerals.

It is a Roman Catholic Church in Galata. The Church owns an icon of Virgin Hodegetria which is one of the protective icons of Constantinople. The current structure was rebuilt in 19th century.

The synagogue which is also known as Kal de Los Francos was built by the Italian Jewish Community of Istanbul in the 19th century and rebuilt in 1931 after demolition. The synagogue is famous for its Gothic Facade and Marble Staircase.

Bet Israel Synagogue is located in Şişli district and supported by the Neve Shalom Foundation. It was built in the 1920s and enlarged into its current size because of increasing the Jews population. It is the most populated synagogue in Turkey and it can be visited after making appointments.

The foundation was established to celebrate the immigration of Sephardic Jews 500 years ago to the Ottoman Empire in 1989. The structure was built in 1671 which was served as Zulfaris Synagogue, opened as a museum on 25th November 2001. The museum is in Karaköy, nearby Galata. 

It is the only active Ashkenazi Synagogue open to visits and prayers and it was the largest one of Ashkenazi synagogues in Galata which was founded by Ashkenazim of Austrian origin in 1900. The synagogue holds all religious ceremonies in the Ashkenazi tradition.

The Spice Bazaar (Turkish: Mısır carsısı, meaning Egyptian Bazaar) in Istanbul, Turkey is one of the largest bazaars in the city. Located in the Eminönü quarter of the Fatih district, it is the second-largest covered shopping complex after the Bazaar.

Istanbul is a shopping mall paradise. The city boasts many quality malls which house an astonishing range of cafes, restaurants, entertainment options, and, of course, shops. Some of the more modern shopping malls in Istanbul are directly connected to the Metro system, offering the ultimate in convenience. 

The patriarchate was established by one of Jesus’s Apostle Andrea in AD 37. After Roman Empire was divided into Eastern (Byzantium) and Western (Roman), it participated in the Orthodox Church within Eastern Roma (Byzantine) Empire in the 5th century. 

The synagogue is located in Ortaköy, nearby the Bosphorus Bridge. It was destroyed completely by fire without just Aron Kodesh marble in 1941 and rebuilt subsequently.

The mosque is situated at the seaside of Ortaköy where is one of the most popular locations on the Bosphorus. It was ordered by Sultan Abdulmecid and built between 1854 – 1856 in the Neo-Baroque style. 

It's said that when the Byzantine Emperor Justinian entered his finished church for the first time in AD 536, he cried out "Glory to God that I have been judged worthy of such a work. Oh, Solomon, I have outdone you!" The Hagia Sophia was the emperor's swaggering statement to the world of the wealth and technical ability of his empire. 

Surely one of Istanbul’s loveliest seaside suburbs, Ortakoy, with its narrow cobbled streets, fine food and spectacular location under the Bosphorus Bridge- the first bridge to connect the European side of Istanbul to Asia- makes for a lovely day trip.